The Fail Of Summer Love
by Sarah August
Summary: S5 AU. Elena's perfect summer romance with Damon was fast to fall apart when an Original catches her eye. Elijah and Elena pursue an affair. An affair that changes their lives forever. Darker spin on S5. AU/Crossover with The Originals characters.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Fail of Summer Love

Summary: Stefan returns to Mystic Falls, after spending the last several months travelling. Silas never returned, and Stefan had a summer that he'll never forget either. Everyone decides to attend Whitmore, and everyone adjusts to the return of some familiar faces. Lexi, Jeremy and Alaric, all returned alive in 4x23. Bonnie survived too. Stefan returned believing he'd have to endure Elena being with Damon, but he is surprised to learn that Elena has more than one vampire in her life. Not being able to deal with the guilt over her choice of being with Damon, Elena has fallen into an affair that no one may live to soon forget. S5 AU. Stefan/Elena, Stefan/Katherine, Damon/Elena, and Elijah/Elena.

Notes: Main pairing: Elijah/Elena. Slightly dark.

Author: Sarah August

* * *

"You shouldn't go back," He whispered into her hair.

Elena smiled and snuggled into that lean, familiar frame. "No one will be expecting me for hours," Elena agreed contentedly. She began to kiss that dark skin, smiling, trying to forget what awaited her at home.

It wasn't that what awaited her was bad. It had been very good, at first, but then reality began to be a little cruel. Her friends could not accept her choice to be with Damon. Alaric, despite being good buddies with her boyfriend, thought that Damon was the worst mistake of her life.

No one understood how she simply up and decided that she was no longer in love with Stefan. It wasn't anything that Stefan had done, but becoming a vampire changed how she saw so many things. She simply wasn't the girl who had loved Stefan anymore.

That girl died, and Elena let go of everything that had come with being her. It was simply too hard to pretend that everything was alright, and that she could still have her old life. Alaric had accused her of shutting off her feelings for Stefan, because the guilt had been too much for her to deal with.

The accusation had stung, reminding Elena, again, of how she came to be with Damon. She had up and left one brother for the other. No remorse, no guilt in that choice. Even after she turned her emotions back on, it had been so easy to choose Damon.

Perhaps, Alaric was right in some way. Or, she had become something she swore she never wanted to be. Perhaps it was both, Elena decided.

Elena then raked her fingers over Elijah's back as he fucked her thoughts out of her head.

* * *

Elena crawled into bed with Damon in the early morning hours.

"I thought you were supposed to be at school this week," Damon cooed into her hair.

Elena snuggled closer. "I just wanted to remember, why I want to be with you," Elena admitted truthfully.

"Did you forget me that easily?" Damon replied back teasingly, kissing her cheek.

A part of Elena said yes, the other part of her told Damon no, and that she loved him.


	2. Chapter 2

"You can't be serious, mate? You're honestly going back there?"

Stefan scowled at Lexi's friend. "I do kind of live there, you know," He shot back softly.

"You've lived here for the last three months," Lexi countered with a smile. "And you had a lot of fun with that sweet little thing, Amy, _didn't you_?"

"Amy _was sweet_, but she wasn't over that boyfriend, Brad," Stefan replied swiftly. "I told her to go back home and work things out."

"You compelled the girl _to leave_?" Enzo seemed amazed.

"She wasn't that into me, anyway," Stefan continued defensively.

"What about that one girl, t_hat brunette,_ from a month ago?" Lexi said suddenly, making Stefan shift uncomfortably. "From what I could hear, _you were really into her._ Often."

Stefan continued to look very uncomfortable.

"You didn't tell her, did you, mate?" Enzo noted immediately.

"Tell me what?" Lexi asked, her tone hard.

"I failed to mention, that I kind of did remember _who she was_," Stefan admitted softly, hating Lexi's cold look. "We seen each other a few times after that, before she left town."

"Who?" Lexi pressed, staring Stefan right in his eyes.

"Um..." Stefan really didn't want to say.

"Stefan..."

"You heard of her... Katherine. It was _Katherine Pierce_..."

Lexi looked stunned, then horrified. "How could you be so ridiculously stupid...Good god..."

"It was just a thing... nothing special..."

"Stefan... after all the crap she pulled..."

"She left town, to see some other guy..."

"She left you, with your heart broken, for over one hundred years, Stefan..."

"Katherine doesn't think she'll be back, for awhile..."

"You're seeing her again?" Lexi was shouting now.

"Kind of..."

"Oh, yeah, buddy," Lexi then sneered viciously. "It's so time for you to go home... Breaking up with Elena has made you completely lose your mind..."

"She's been sleeping with my brother the past four months... I don't want to see her..."

"You dumped her, if I recall," Lexi countered.

"She wanted..."

"Enough, Stefan. You're going back home. This was a vacation, not a chance to run and hide from life, forever. Even if you have lost Elena, your life is in Mystic Falls..."

Stefan sighed tiredly, not wanting to argue. "Yeah, I think you're right, unfortunately..."

"And if Katherine thinks you're still here, it's a good time to go as any."

"Lex..." Stefan scoffed. "It was nothing serious, alright...? Just a couple of one night stands... over the course of that week, when you took off with Enzo, here..."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go..." Lexi then began packing without another word.

* * *

"Damon, I got to go back..." Elena shrugged out of her boyfriend's embrace.

She reached for the bag she had on the floor. She flashed briefly to the memory of the last touch she got from Elijah. It ended with a scream, and a plea for more.

Elena couldn't say exactly when the fling began, or what started it, or what possessed her to start sleeping with an original, when she had just started a serious relationship with Damon. She had visited him once in New Orleans, right after Stefan had taken off for the hills with Lexi.

Learning that Stefan's first reaction to her decision to be with Damon was to take off, it had hurt deeply, and had bothered her more than she had ever thought it would. It left confusion where there should be none. It lead her to that impulsive decision to fall drunkenly against Elijah's chest and lick those delicious lips.

"Elena, why do I get the feeling that this was just a booty call?"

Elena glared at Damon in frustration. "Damon, you know that I'm in school... I can't stay here anymore..."

Damon then watched her go, still obviously hurt. But Elena was getting tired of having to soothe him, every time she wanted to do something that didn't involve him. It made her choice to keep up the lie much easier.


	3. Chapter 3

"_Elena, I'm surprised to see you, here. Rebekah said that you have been... occupied, recently..."_

_Elena smirked at that. "Yeah, I bet she did. I... yeah, there have been some new things going on, in my life, recently."_

"_Yet, you are here..."_

"_Well, I heard Katherine, enjoyed your company, quite a lot, recently. I thought I'd give it a go, too," Elena replied cryptically._

"_Elena, I know you well enough, not to believe that," Elijah shot back with a smirk of his own. _

"_I had no where else to go," Elena answered again, finally revealing the truth. "Everyone else that I know, can't understand why I wanted to be with Damon. Why I would choose him, when I could have been with Stefan. It would have been so much easier, to pick Stefan. With Damon... you never know what to expect. It's been so perfect, so far, but..."_

"_But what, Elena?" Elijah pressed softly, seeing the loneliness in her face. _

"_I miss having friends... I miss, everything... there should be more to life, than just being with the one you love..."_

"_Some people strive to find just that, Elena," Elijah replied swiftly. _

"_I want to be with the one I love, Elijah... but, I'm so tired of...I shouldn't have to be the one that has to make everything okay...I shouldn't have to take care of him, above everything..."_

_Elijah stepped closer, deep blue silk of his shirt glimmering against dark skin. Elena couldn't help but feel suddenly entranced by him. "You want to be taken care of..." Elijah said, his voice deep. It sounded like an offer._

"_I do," Elena admitted, her eyes never leaving those lips. _

_Elena, not being able to resist anymore, took two hurried steps forward, taking those lips for hers. _

_They hurried together, Elijah resting her bottom against the bar, Elena pulling him to her. She ripped at that shirt she liked so much, forgetting her strength, that of a vampire. It made Elijah chuckle delightedly before he returned the favour. _

* * *

"You keep coming back," Elijah noted. He let Elena into the apartment he was quietly renting in Mystic Falls.

Elena smiled sadly. The guilt was still there, although it bothered her less. Damon was at the point that he knew they were having problems. Elena knew that she had to tell him how unhappy she was with them being together. She hadn't given them a fair shot, falling into the bed of another, almost immediately.

"I know that I shouldn't," Elena admitted softly, removing her coat. "I know that I need to tell him the truth. I need to tell him everything..."

Elijah pulled her close, cupping her face before kissing her. "Elena, I want this, _I want you_... but, _not like this_...This, must be over...until you decide what you really want...You talk like you're done with Damon, yet you refuse to end your relationship with him...You have _feelings_ for him, _Elena_, still ..."

"I'm sorry," She said.

Elijah believed that she meant that apology.

"I know," Elijah replied.

Elijah then welcomed his lover into his embrace. He would give her time, but if she didn't decide soon, Elijah would make the choice for her.

* * *

Elena was sitting at the park outside of campus at Whitmore, writing in her diary. She had just spent the weekend with Elijah, and after, making a quick stop at the Salvatore house, decided to tell Damon everything.

The conversation had been about how neglectful she had been of him, as of late, nothing else. Elena was starting to hate herself for her choices, her weaknesses, and her inability to tell Damon goodbye. He deserved a good girlfriend. One who was loyal. Faithful.

Elena had known how to be those things once.

She looked up, surprised to see who approached her. They had last seen each other when she had been about to tell Damon that she had wanted to be with him. Elena frowned. She remembered the hurt she had caused Stefan. Now she was hurting Damon too.

Perhaps she hadn't been meant for this kind of life after all.

"Stefan..."

Elena stood, trying to smile. "I'm glad to see you..."

"Elena... I... " Stefan looked away from her awkwardly. "Elena, I know what's been going on. Or, I think that I do..."

Elena stared at him, and she knew it. Stefan knew her dirty little secret.

"Why did you spend the weekend, hauled up with Elijah?"

Elena blinked, trying not to cry.

"I mean, I know I don't really have any right to ask, but," Stefan continued. "I thought you and Damon, were, well, _together._..you know, _my brother_?"

"Stefan..." Elena tried, but then stopped.

"Does Damon know that you're cheating on him? The supposedly _great love_ of his life?"

Elena began to choke, fighting to hold in her emotions. "Stefan, I never went into this, wanting to hurt him..." Elena replied weakly. "I love him. I do. But, it's more complicated then that..."

"Tell him, or I will," Stefan then snapped, having enough. "I'm so tired of your games, Elena. You know, I thought that maybe we might have been wrong. Maybe we shouldn't have fallen in love. Maybe, you were actually meant to be with my brother, despite what I felt for you...despite what you had felt for me, once. I came back here, prepared to give you two a chance to be together. I would let you both be, and I wouldn't get in the way. But you've shown me that I was so wrong, Elena. You weren't meant to be with me, and you sure as hell, weren't meant for my brother either. You know, as bad as Katherine was, even at her worst, you still felt the underlining sense that she loved you, in her own way. But you..."

"Stefan... you have no right to judge me. You don't know me anymore..." gasped Elena through tears.

"You're right, Elena," Stefan said, emotion thick in his voice. "I don't know you anymore, and frankly, I wouldn't want too... I meant what I said."

Stefan then left her, and Elena finally broke down and sobbed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Damon, why are you here? I thought you'd be with Elena... wasn't she up this weekend from college?" Stefan pressed immediately, seeing his brother sitting by the fireplace inside their home.

"Already went back..." Damon spat back, sounding between angry, and depressed. "She has little time for me, these days... bet you love that..." Damon glared the last.

"Really?" said Stefan, fighting to keep the sound of glee out of his voice. "I saw her car parked at that new little hotel, down town... _all weekend_...I thought you would have been with her..." Stefan helped himself to a drink. He refused to feel guilty over this. Damon would know how it felt, just like he did, to be betrayed by Elena Gilbert.

Stefan was still reeling from the pain, over four months later. At least his own relationship with Elena had lasted a lot longer than four months, before she decided to rip his heart to shreds.

Damon's face soon fell, and Stefan couldn't help but smile as Damon started putting it all together.

"She wouldn't..." Damon half whispered, tears stinging his eyes. They were soon blinded by rage.

"Damon, ask yourself, why she never has time for you..." Stefan continued on sarcastically. "She was in high school when she dated me, and Elena _always_ had time for me." Stefan then smiled darkly, raised his glass at his brother, and left.

* * *

"Are you cheating on me?" Damon snapped into the cell phone he was holding as soon as he heard Elena's voice.

Elena sounded immediately startled. Damon closed his eyes, wishing away the sound. This couldn't be happening. It was his turn to have a happy ending. He thought Elena was it.

"What kind of question is that?" Elena immediately protested. "No _hello._.. no _I miss you_..."

Damon hated the sound in her voice. He didn't believe her, although he wanted more than anything in the world too. "Are you regretting leaving Stefan for me, _Elena_? Is this what this is?" Damon asked weakly.

"No," Elena replied quickly. "It's not about Stefan, Damon. What Stefan and I had, died, when I became something that he couldn't understand anymore. Stefan, despite how hard he tried to help me, save me, I think fell out of love with who I had become. And I no longer felt the same about him. _Stefan, me._.. it's finished, Damon... you were there for me, when he couldn't be. I fell in love with you because you accepted me, when I needed that, more than anything else. You gave me hope again, Damon."

Damon sighed darkly, fighting to regain his self control. When she talked like that, he knew she cared about him. He knew that she meant everything she was saying, but Damon no longer knew if it was enough for her.

"Do you love me, now?" He asked suddenly.

Elena's voice, now complete silence, said everything.

Damon choked back his emotions as he disconnected the phone call. Damon then let out a growl before throwing his cell phone across the room.

* * *

"I have to end this," Elena said aloud to herself, pulling back the hair that had fallen in her face. She then choked again, biting back a sob.

She had hurt Damon, more than she ever thought she'd be capable of. He knew the truth, but didn't want to believe it was true. Damon had been waiting, willing to accept anything that she had said, simply to believe that they were going to be still together.

Elena wanted to admit it. That, yes, she had done the worst thing that she could ever do. She had started sleeping with someone else, using it as an escape from the reality that her life had become.

Friends that had backed off upon her declaration that she had chosen to be with Damon. Caroline was now more Stefan's friend than hers. Bonnie, not being able to wrap her head around the fact that her best friend could fall in love with her mothers killer, had pretty much stopped speaking to her.

Choosing Damon had come with being forced with some brutal realities. Along with the guilt that haunted her, when ever she saw Stefan now.

Elijah, had become an escape from all of her problems, from everything. He took her to bed and everything else went away. Was she falling in love with the original? Elena couldn't think that far ahead yet.

She still had an obligation to Damon to properly put an end to their relationship. Elena had to apologize for everything she put him through, and everything he was going through now, because of her. She cheated before admitting that she had made the wrong decision, and now, it was irreversible.

Damon went into a relationship with her, firmly believing she had loved him. Elena had went into a relationship with Damon because she had been too cowardly to take control over her own life. He had been there for her, happy to make every hard decision for her. Including the acknowledgement that things weren't the same with Stefan anymore. And Elena had happily allowed Damon to do it all for her.

Elena, decided, moved to knock on the Salvatore's front door. A hand then reached out of no where, stopping her.

"Do you honestly believe this is the wisest thing to do, Elena?" Elijah asked softly, releasing her when he believed she wasn't going to continue her action.

"I need to tell him that I am sorry... that I didn't mean for any of this to happen..."

"Elena, Damon is not his brother. I believe that on some level, he sincerely loved you, but right now he is reeling from the new knowledge that you have provided him with. I do not doubt that he would consider staking you, if you were to push him now."

"Damon would never..." Elena started tearfully, but stopped.

"In a rational state, most likely no," Elijah agreed with her. "But he is deeply wounded, Elena. You need to give him time to deal with this."

"But, I..." Elena began, rather mournfully.

Elena was grief-stricken over realizing that it wasn't just her new personal relationship with Damon was over, but their fought for friendship was likely over as well. She had risked the relationship of two brothers for a romance with Damon Salvatore. A romance that Elena had deemed not worthy to fight for, if she hated to admit it or not. Damon was not going to forget that, anytime soon.

Elijah silenced her with a gentle kiss to the lips and pulled her away into the night.

He took them back to her new home. The one she shared with Alaric and Jeremy. Elena looked at the house, smiling through her sadness.

"Will I ever be happy, Elijah?" She whispered.

"When you are ready, you will be," He promised her. Elijah cupped her face with his hands before kissing her again. "You know where I'll be," He then said.

Elena blinked and Elijah was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

"You know, you two don't have to stick around, if you don't want too," Stefan murmured to Lexi, while taking another drink.

They sat in front of the fire place at the Salvatore's house. "You've been doing that, a lot more, since we got back," noted Lexi instead. She glared at the drink in his hand.

"Sorry, I don't believe I took finding out that the former love of my life, who went off sleeping with my brother, did an about face, only to decide that sleeping with an original would be something better," Stefan spat rather darkly.

Lexi frowned sadly at Stefan. "Did you really want her running back to you, _after everything_?"

"A little doubt would have been nice, instead of deeming not only myself, but my brother, nothing but a mistake in the _saintly_ life of Elena Gilbert," Stefan shot back. Lexi winced at the anger in his tone.

"Stefan, you weren't a mistake to her, and you know that. Damon, _well_, most likely," Lexi finished lamely. "But relationships, they just, sometimes end. Elena loved you, but she changed. She became someone that was different from who she was. Sometimes that happens when you become what we are. Some just can't take being this, so change is necessary to adapt. Maybe Damon was only meant to be a short term thing to Elena. Elijah, _while way old,_ could be something better for her."

"I wish I found it as easy as her," Stefan admitted softly. Tears were visible in his eyes.

It was then that Lexi feared that Stefan would most likely always be in love with a girl that didn't want him back anymore.

* * *

Elena stepped out of Elijah's apartment the next night, determined to see Damon before going back to school. She was utterly torn over what was the best thing to do.

There was a part of herself that felt something for Damon that was profound. But when it came down to it, their happiness together died shortly after she realized that her life long friendships were the price she was going to pay for that new joy. Elena believed that what she had felt for Damon would somehow change her friends point of view on the older Salvatore brother. She had been foolishly, blindly wrong.

Elena knew now that she couldn't stay with Damon anymore. She had to let him go. But she also had to know that he was going to be alright.

Elena knocked on the front door to the Salvatore's house, feeling like an invader this time. And Elijah wasn't here to save her, if this would prove to be a mistake.

The young vampire was surprised to see Damon himself open the front door to greet her. He looked a mess, his shirt was open. "I would have happily went on ignoring you out here, but my stubborn ass brother refused to tell you to go away," Damon began with a sneer. "So on behalf of my brother and me, take a hike. Neither of us are interested anymore."

Damon moved to shut the door in her face, but Elena put out a strong hand to stop him. "Damon, look, I know that this was the worst thing that could have ever happened..."

"No," Damon then started sharply. "You don't get to do that, Elena. Not when you knowingly started sleeping around, behind my back, in some lame effort to find yourself."

"Damon," Elena insisted softly, sounding hurt. "I didn't mean to hurt you..."

"I said..." Damon then interrupted, lunging forward suddenly, pushing Elena to the ground in warning. "I am not willing to hear it anymore, Elena. Get _lost._.. _next time_, I'll use a stake to drive home the message," Damon finished in a dark glare.

Elena, standing up now, stared at Damon, crushed beyond her imagination. She knew this would be hard, and that he likely would refuse her request for forgiveness, but she hadn't expected death threats. Damon hated her, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

There was something in Damon that flinched upon realizing that Elena actually seemed frightened by him now. His face fell, and the darkness that took over faded upon staring into her horror-struck face. They locked eyes, and Damon felt guilt for what he'd done.

"Maybe, this was for the best, Elena," Damon finally said, his voice sad. "I should have known better. I should have known that I wasn't going to be good enough for you," He finished in a grief stricken whisper. "I'm sorry," He went on.

Something in his eyes blanked out, and Elena immediately stood up, using her vampire speed, fearing what Damon was going to do next. She was shocked when he vanished out the front door. It was Elena's turn to flinch through her tears when in the distance she heard a terrified woman scream.

* * *

The next day, Stefan awakened alone in the Salvatore's house. He knew his brother had vanished yesterday after Elena had been over to bring more misery to their doorstep.

Not that Stefan could blame Damon for taking off. _He had_ after Elena had miraculously fallen in love with his brother over night. Seemingly forgetting that she had ever loved him. And when she had been released from the sire bond, Stefan had truly believed that she'd come to her senses, and remember that she had loved him, not his brother. But Elena had done the exact opposite.

And Elena had managed to rip his heart out from his chest, effortlessly, again. Stefan wanted, needed the ability to move on. He wanted to forget that he had ever fallen in love with her. He desperately wanted to forget everything that had to do with her. But that wasn't possible.

Even if he convinced one of the originals to compel him, she was still here. Elena had been living here, in his house, until most recently. Or it seemed that way. Always here for a night time romp with his brother. Then, she'd vanish by dawn, leaving Damon stupidly believing that all was right in the world. And leaving Damon believing that Elena Gilbert truly loved him.

But now, the truth was out there. And Elena was already sick of being with his brother. She hadn't even the decency to tell Damon that she was already out of their relationship. Already in bed with someone else.

Stefan smiled. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one that Elena had managed to brutally, almost evilly, rip their heart to shreds.

Stefan moved into the living room, ready to pour himself a drink, when he stopped. He heard a scream in the distance, and then he knew. His brother was back to his old self, liking ready to turn off the world for what Elena did.

Then there was a knock at the door and Stefan went to answer it. He smiled at the irony. "Katherine..." Stefan spoke, unable to hide his pleasure at the sight of her.

"That's more like it," Katherine smiled, before claiming Stefan's lips for hers.


	6. Chapter 6

"You can go to hell!" Damon bit out with a snarl, seeing Enzo standing in the living room of the house he shared with Stefan.

"Oh, please," Enzo spat back sarcastically. "You're just jealous that I got the girl first. Well, she's mine, so get used to it," Enzo finished before looking into the eyes of his long time girlfriend. Lexi beamed at her love, enjoying the fact that he hated Damon as much as she did.

"Where the hell did you find him, anyway?" Damon countered, his voice with an edge. "I thought you were still grieving over that loser from Chicago..."

Lexi was on Damon in an instant, her face transformed into a vicious monster. The beast of the vampire always reared itself in the usually calm vampire, when ever she was around Damon. If it hadn't been for Stefan, Lexi would have happily staked Damon, many decades ago.

She knew that despite all the heartbreak, all the pain, between the two brothers, Stefan still loved his older brother fiercely. Stefan would never say it, but there was still a part of him that saw Damon as that childhood best friend, who always looked out for him. And there for, Stefan could never fully shut Damon out of his life. Not even when Damon had managed to do the worst thing possible to him.

The loss of Elena in his life was something that Stefan was no where close to being over. His hooking up with Katherine was the worst thing that Stefan could ever choose to do at this point, but it was his way of getting over the girl who had ripped him apart inside. Ironically, the new girl shared the same face as the old, and actually had been Stefan's first real love. Complicated was the situation, but Lexi was pleased to see Stefan moving on. She could only hope he'd come to his senses about Katherine, and had no real designs on a real relationship with the older vampire.

"Ah, I'm not into vampires your age," Damon sneered back. "So sorry..."

"No, you usually go for much older," Lexi snapped, getting off the younger vampire.

Lexi hadn't forgotten that Damon had also been one of Katherine's many victims. She reminded him of it, when ever she could. Lexi stole a gentle kiss from Enzo, showing the real affection between the two.

She hadn't been with Enzo long. Only a few years. But Enzo had a way of making life a little less serious, a little less darker. Lexi loved that about him and more.

Alaric entered the living room, spotting Damon.

"Hey good buddy," Damon began, only to stand in time for Alaric to punch Damon square in the jaw, sending him to the floor.

"Ha!" Lexi singed happily.

"Oh, you do have the most vicious heart," Enzo whispered softly to his love. "It's what I love the most about you, my darling," Enzo replied, happily gazing into Lexi's eyes.

"Sick," Damon sneered unhappily. He then looked to Alaric, but before asking why, decided not too. Of course, Alaric would still feel the need to defend Elena. "Ah," Damon only uttered.

"Stay the hell away from her," Alaric ordered the older vampire firmly.

"Tell that to _Elijah,_" said Stefan, entering the room.

Damon couldn't help but grin at the look on Alaric's face.

* * *

"So, he told you everything," muttered Elena, sitting down across from Alaric, inside the small living room of the house they shared as a family.

"Just... help me, here, Elena," Alaric tried to offer his now gloomy, former ward. "I know that you're old enough not to be given parental advice, but... really, Elijah?" Alaric trailed off, still sounding shocked. "If anything, I thought you'd wise up to what an ass Damon really is, and go back to Stefan..._but not this._.."

"I wasn't planning this, Rick... any of it," Elena tried to defend herself. "When I picked Damon, I really thought it was the best thing that I could do, given how involved we already were. He loved me, and I know that it was all real for him. I still loved Stefan, but, I knew that I had hurt him so much. I did things that I could never fix, could never make right again. I knew that I could have still chosen Stefan, then, but at the same time, I felt it would only make things worse. Stefan was only starting to heal, he didn't need me to mess everything up again. He was just starting to come around. But I picked Damon, and I think he grew to hate me for it. Stefan then left. It made things easier, for a short time, but then I began to realize that I wasn't happy with the choice I made. I lost my friends, everyone...I never thought I'd lose Caroline..." Elena finished softly, her voice hurt. "Elijah just came upon me, when I was alone, when I was ready for a way out...not the best reasons to start a relationship, I know..."

"Are you really in love with Elijah, Elena?" Alaric asked her, still trying to understand all of this.

"I don't know," Elena admitted truthfully. "But I care for him, much more than I ever did before. I knew I should have told Damon... I should have broken up with him, even before I went to school...but every time I tried...I knew that it would hurt him, so much, So I didn't... it made me so confused. I thought if maybe I tried harder...I could love him like I was supposed too, but I don't. Now, he hates me too," Elena finished sadly. "I ruined everything, and I should have known better. Even Damon deserved better than what I gave him."

"I don't believe that Stefan and Damon really hate you, Elena. They have a right to be upset though. They have a right to honesty from you," Alaric replied softly, hating to see Elena so down on herself. "They were nothing but honest with you, on how they felt about you. They expected the same thing in return. Give them time. They need time to accept things as they are now."

Elena nodded, accepting the answer. She knew it was true. Damon and Stefan needed time to move on, and accept everything as it was now. They both had been in love with her, and she had failed, times two, in returning that love. She had wanted this.

She wanted to leave her relationship with Damon, practically from the start. Now she got her wish. Like it or not, she was free. There was no looking back anymore.

Elena, deciding to stay at home, went to bed for the night.

* * *

"So I hear you're banging Miss Gilbert of Sunnybrooke these days," Klaus said immediately, his eyes showing a slight darkness to them. Leave it to his brother to see his relationship with Elena as a betrayal.

"Of what, Niklaus?" Elijah drawled sarcastically, and rather impatiently. Elijah took off his coat, hanging it up by the front doors.

"You must be driving the Salvatore brothers absolutely insane with jealousy," Klaus then chuckled. "You would think no other girl existed in the universe, but for Elena Gilbert. I find her rather plain, compared to Katerina, don't you?"

"Be careful, Niklaus," Elijah bit warningly.

"But then, maybe Katerina found you to be the plain one," Klaus pressed on, rather viciously. "I hear she is back in Mystic Falls, but it was not your bed she sought. Stefan is again the object of her obsessions, now that _Elena_ has dropped him."

"What is your point, brother?" Elijah then spat.

"Are you not at all bothered by the fact, that the one you have loved, for over five hundred years, no longer wants you back," Klaus finished with glee.

"If I remember things correctly, Niklaus. I am not the only brother who had been enamoured with Katerina. You have obsessively hunted her for that same time, all because she preferred me, over you."

Klaus snarled and stood up. "I have loved just one woman, brother, in over five hundred years. I was never so easily a push over, to so _greedily_ accept her substitutes to my bed. Tell me, does Elena know of your past with Katerina? All of it, brother? Does she know what you were really up to while she has been struggling as a vampire?"

"Stay out of it, Niklaus," Elijah whispered softly.

"Oh, I believe you have just put me right in the middle of things, brother."


	7. Chapter 7

"You're here," said Elijah softly, later that night.

Elena stood in the doorway, staring at Elijah, still in disbelief that she was here. She needed to feel connected to someone, after the day she had. And with Elijah, there had been an undeniably strong connection there.

He held out his hand to her when she remained quiet, looking unsure of herself. Elijah pulled her along, into his apartment, when she would not come. Elijah held her gaze again, seeing so many emotions in that young face of hers. "I'm here," Elena finally said.

"Yet, you appear as if you're about to cry," Elijah replied gently.

Elijah cupped her face into his hands and kissed her forehead. Elena blinked back tears of guilt, tears of pain. "Am I really so terrible, Elijah?" Elena said.

Her voice was threatening to break. "You have experienced loss, Elena. As much as you had mixed feelings about continuing your relationship with Damon, there is a part of you that can't bare to see those you care about, be in pain. But you have done the right thing, Elena. Damon had to know the truth about your feelings, and now he does. You don't have to lie anymore, to anyone."

Elena walked forward and into Elijah's arms. "This feels right," She whispered into his chest.

"I have to agree with you there, Elena," Elijah said back, his voice soft, distant.

He knew there was a part of her that was interested in him, and she was interested enough to maybe want to explore these new feelings between them. But there was a part of her that was holding herself back. Elijah had guessed it was her guilt over what had become of her relationships with both Damon and Stefan.

Elena had resolved her relationship with Damon, and it had ended bitterly. But Stefan was different for Elena. She had spent a long time being in love with the younger Salvatore, and there had been a strong bond there between them. The bond had went on shaky ground after Elena had chosen Damon, but it was still there. Stefan was hurting still, and Elena longed to be there for him.

Would the relationship between former lovers, change again, if Stefan allowed Elena to be there for him? Elijah gripped Elena a little tighter in his arms. It caused a giggle from her. He smiled at the sound.

"I don't expect you to know your feelings for me, over night, Elena," Elijah said suddenly, and she gasped softly. "I don't expect anything, only for you to go after what you want."

"And, if that's you?" Elena pressed, her voice a whisper in the air.

"You won't have much to do to catch me," Elijah replied back.

Elena leaned in, kissing him. "I do have feelings for you," She then declared. "I just...I have to figure them out..."

"I'll take that," Elijah said, before taking a moment to kiss her lips.

* * *

"I bet you never thought this would happen," Katherine whispered, enjoying her new place in Stefan's bed.

"What would happen?" Stefan shot back.

He took a moment to appreciate the long, dark hair that fluttered in waves down her naked form. Stefan had missed it's feel. And, slowly, he was remembering that he had missed other things about Katherine as well.

At first glance, one would believe she was Elena, but Stefan could always clearly see the differences between the two women. To him, they were different, separate from the other. Lexi feared he was using Katherine as a substitute for Elena, but Stefan knew this was different. He was beginning to feel differently when it came to Katherine Pierce.

"You and me... together again..." Katherine beamed up at him, a little grin playing on her lips.

"I'm...alright with that..." Stefan said in admittance. Katherine looked stunned, and then waited for the other shoe to drop. She was shocked when realizing that his admittance came with complete sincerity.

"You are?" Katherine then chuckled. Glee was obvious there. Then she paused, her face softening. "You know what, Stefan?" She then asked with a vulnerability he never heard from her before.

"What?" Stefan replied. He stole a kiss from her.

"I think I'm alright with it too," Katherine said.

The old lovers then kissed again, taking the time to enjoy the moment.

* * *

"Hey," Elena said awkwardly, while watching Caroline's face fall upon realizing who was on the other side of the front door to her house.

"Why are you here?" Caroline insisted immediately. "Don't you have to rush to sleep with Damon, or something?" Caroline's face was still frowning.

"Actually," Elena replied uneasily. "That's over."

Caroline's eyes went wide."You mean, you finally realized your mistake, and went back to Stefan?" Caroline sounded like an excited child.

Elena shook her head. "Sorry, Care, but no. Stefan and I, we won't be getting back together, either. Stefan hates me for my relationship with Damon, and he really hates the fact that I...well, things never worked out with Damon..."

Caroline stared at Elena, hard. "Why didn't it work out? I thought he was your new love of your life, and Stefan suddenly didn't exist anymore, after your loving him for two years."

Elena frowned, wondering if this was a good idea too. She couldn't argue away the decisions she made, and Elena couldn't change the fact that she had hurt Stefan, so much, that he'd never consider taking her back. It was bad enough she had fallen for his brother, it only got worse when Stefan realized that she had given very little effort to that relationship she had left him for, before cheating on Damon.

Stefan considered her to be something less than human right now, and Damon was no better, not that she blamed either of them.

Elena, deciding to go with the truth. "I cheated on Damon, Caroline. Alright? And Damon found out, and broke up with me."

Caroline just stared at her for a moment and Elena couldn't meet her gaze.

Caroline looked like she was going to burst into laughter, after hearing the outcome of her relationship with Damon, but the gave pause. "With who, then, if it wasn't Stefan?"

Elena blushed furiously.

"Oh, come on, Elena, tell me," Caroline argued swiftly. She let Elena step inside. "You've been ignoring me, all summer. You at least have to tell me..."

"It was with Elijah," Elena nearly hissed with annoyance.

Caroline stopped talking. She stared at Elena in horror. "Are you crazy? After all that family did..."

"Says the one who has a monster crush on_ Klaus._.." quipped Elena back. "And besides, Elijah has been there for me, more than not. He's not that bad of a guy, when you get to know him..."

Caroline blinked, then smiled. "You have feelings for him..." Caroline smirked.

"Yeah," Elena smiled back, enjoying the moment, and thinking maybe, that everything was going to be okay with her and Caroline. "I kind of do."

Caroline giggled and Elena did the same. These moments were nice. When she could just forget every serious, horrible thing that has ever happened, and be who she used to be.


	8. Chapter 8

It was almost time for Elena to return back to Whitmore college, and she felt conflicted about the next decision that she should make.

Should she tell Elijah that she felt ready to take the next step with their relationship, whatever that may be. Or, should she give things time to continue in a new direction, on their own. The pain over the realization that she had driven both Damon, and Stefan, from her life, was still fresh. Elijah deserved to have someone that wasn't thinking so much about the past, and she was.

Elena knew that she wasn't in love with Damon anymore. Whatever had been between them, had faded quickly, making Elena suspect that none of it had been real to begin with. She had only seen what she had wanted to see with Damon. Something that wasn't ever actually there.

Stefan, had been so different. He was the first real love of her life. What she had once with Matt, couldn't be spoken in the same breath, when declaring what she had felt for Stefan. Matt was that sweet, puppy love. A puppy love that faded as they got a little older. Elena knew if they had stayed together, it wouldn't have lasted. Matt had wanted her to be something she just wasn't for him. That once in a life time love. A love that you find, and you never let go of.

She had that kind of love with Stefan. A love that you find, and you never want to let go of. But thanks to the sire bond, and some brutally stupid choices on her part, Elena had no choice but to let him go. Whatever they had together, was over. It had taken her break up with Damon to see it, but she should have chosen Stefan. There had been real love between them, and she had wasted it for the easiest choice at the time. With Damon, it had been all new. Going back to Stefan, would have meant rehashing decisions she just hadn't wanted to remember. Elena, in short, just didn't want to admit how wrong she had been in being with Damon.

Elijah, awakened those indecision's within her. He made her question why she had chosen to settle into a life that just wasn't making her happy. No matter how many times she argued that she loved Damon, when it came down to it, he just wasn't the guy that could make her happy. No matter how many times she lied to herself, Damon was never going to change, and especially not for her. She had expected Damon to become the acceptable version of his brother, every time. Their relationship had been destined to implode from the start.

Going to bed with Elijah had been her expression, her desire to change her life. He offered things that no one else had been able to give her. Most of all, a true chance to gain control over her own life. No more dependance on those around her to save her. He offered her a life where he'd expect her to stand up for herself. It was tempting, and Elena had to admit, she was already falling for him. Elena, decided, finished packing, and then enjoyed the rest of the night with Alaric and Jeremy.

Elena was going to go back to college, but not without telling Elijah the truth. She wanted to be with him, she wanted more _with him_.

* * *

The road to the Originals house, was too quiet. Elena had gone to Elijah's apartment first, but received a text that he was at his family's home, and he wanted to see her about something. Elena could only hope that it was about the same thing she wanted to discuss with him.

Elena knocked on the front doors, which were opened by the unfamiliar face of a housekeeper. It was rare to see any humans walking about the Originals home. At least, any that weren't be used for the purpose of live food for the residents of the house. That was a step, _a dark step_, that she could never see herself taking as a vampire. Elena could never reduce humans to something like this. To be able too, spoke of what humanity that the vampire likely had left. It gave her chills just thinking about it.

If there were ever a vampire that was meant to still be human, it was certainly herself. She had been wrong. This, this life, was always going to be hard.

Elena stepped into the house and stopped dead. It was Klaus.

"Excuse us, Mary," Klaus purred to the older woman, who had lead Elena into her trap.

"Not your usual kind of victim," Elena spat darkly, after being left alone with the Original inside the corridor.

"No," Klaus agreed. "My favourite one's always bare that pretty face of yours, I must admit."

He touched her face and Elena winced in revulsion.

"Oh, that's right. You don't fancy the bad boys, _anymore_," Klaus whispered. "But yet, you have become my brother's lover, so that cannot be _completely_ true." Klaus teased her viciously and relentlessly. "Tell me, Elena. Does he call out for _Katerina_ when you're together? You know, the one_ he really wanted_, but left him for a certain Salvatore brother..."

Elena flinched at all the information. She had known that Elijah had a recent relationship with Katherine, but she had assumed it had been born from the need to obtain information from her. Or, that it what Elijah had lead her to believe. And Stefan with Katherine... she had guessed as much, and had seen them together, but she had never once guessed that their relationship could mean anything more for Stefan, other than him finally getting over her.

"Stefan is too smart to be used by Katherine again," Elena quipped back nastily. "And Elijah isn't in love with Katherine either. He's in love with me."

Klaus smiled nastily in return and Elena felt her resolve crumble. "You say it, but I don't hear that you actually believe those words, Elena. Think about it, love. Elijah, just like I, has chased after Katerina, all through time. Do you really believe, that a few months with you, would change his feelings for her, just like that, after 500 years of being in love with her..."

Elena blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Had she really been so foolish? Had Elijah been telling her the truth? Did he really feel anything for her, or was she just a replacement for the one he really wanted? It felt like being with Stefan, in those first few weeks, all over again.

Klaus had taken something so wonderful, and reduced it to having no meaning at all, within minutes. "Elijah really isn't here, _is he_?" Elena said softly.

Klaus reached out and snatched her face forcefully in one hand. "Oh, aren't you one for catching on quick," He purred seductively, before forcing his lips on hers.

Elena bit down, drawing blood, forcing Klaus to wince and release her. She nearly fell over when he let her go.

"What is the meaning of this, Niklaus?" spat a familiar voice.

Elena turned, happy to see Elijah, despite the lingering fears that Klaus had easily planted within her mind.

Elijah was to Elena's side, offering her an arm to steady herself. She smiled weakly. He touched the tears that were falling down her face with gentle fingers. "Niklaus, you will mind what belongs to you. Elena is not among those things."

Elijah then lead Elena away and from the house. It would not do to have her here tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

"What did you go there for?" Elijah asked softly.

They were in his car and Elena frowned at the question. She had thought the visit would have went a completely different way, and Klaus would have been no where to be found. The things he said, still unnerved her. And that_ brutal kiss._.. it was like he sealed her doubts with his lips.

"I wanted to see you," Elena admitted, her voice sad. "Klaus, I assume, sent me a text, pretending to be you. I wanted to tell you..." Elena trailed off, trying not to cry.

"Tell me what, Elena?" Elijah insisted. He stopped driving now.

"That I was ready... that I wanted us to be _together_...to hell with my past. But, _Elijah_..."

Elijah's face fell immediately. He pulled back from her and Elena frowned. "I assume that Niklaus was successful in his quest to undermine our relationship?"

His tone stunned Elena and she realized that maybe she really didn't know Elijah all that well. Perhaps, taking that next step, was too much, too soon.

"I don't know, that depends, I guess," Elena replied honestly.

"On what?" Elijah asked coolly, not looking at her.

"Are you with me, _Elijah_, because Katherine decided she wanted to be with Stefan, instead of _you_?"

Elijah froze, and his eyes gave away his answer. Elena felt her heart rip itself to shreds. She was his second choice, not his first. And Elena didn't know if she could ever accept that.

"Elena," Elijah whispered, snatching her hands into his, forcing them together. "We've both have had other relationships, _serious relationships_ where we have loved someone else. I have just watched you live one with Damon, had you not consider that I too have_ loved_ before?"

Elena blinked, hating herself for being so selfish. Of course, Elijah had loved before in his life. She had too. But her previous lovers had not bore his face. One she had come to adore more than she could ever describe to anyone. "I know that you've been in love, Elijah. But are you with me because I'm some sort of substitute for what you really wanted?"

"Elena, I am no young fool. I am guilty of loving twice before you. Only one other bore your face. I did love Katherine, but not the one you know. I still sometimes slip, forgetting that she is long lost. And it always ends the same. My being foolish, and her reminding me that the girl I loved died over 500 years ago. I have accepted the fact that I must let that memory go, because that is all it is. You, however, my sweet Elena, have awakened me. You have taught me that I no longer have to hide myself away. I have loved before, women with your face, but you are different than either of them. My feelings for you are real, Elena. That I can promise you."

He reached for her, and Elena was so tempted to take the offered embrace, but she didn't know if she was alright with the fact that she was again in such a predicament. One where the man she loved had loved before, and the woman had her face. She honestly didn't know if she could do that again. Or if she even wanted too.

Those relationships, like Elijah's, had a history of not ending well. "I can't do this," Elena said aloud, and Elijah appeared as if she had burned him. Perhaps she had.

Elena then existed the car and fled from sight.

* * *

She hurried away from Elijah, into the night. Elena ended up a few blocks from her old house, not realizing where she had been running too. Elena took a different way then, not wanting to confront old demons. She had seen the ruins of her old home once, and that had been enough.

It had been like standing on her own grave. That was how she could only describe what it was like to go home again.

Elena made it almost home, to the house she shared with Alaric and Jeremy. Almost there, and she was again confronted by old demons. This one, she wasn't honestly ready to see again.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Elena asked with a hard sigh.

"Rick's my friend, despite our _nasty little break up_, so get over yourself," Damon spat, immediately disliking her attitude.

"Well, is your visit over, because if it isn't, I'll gladly go," Elena sighed again. She moved to leave and Damon caught her arm.

"What's wrong?" Damon began mockingly. "All isn't perfect in the bedroom jungle of an _Original_ vampire?"

"Damon, my life is none of your business now," Elena replied, her tone hard.

She moved towards the house again and Elena stopped when she heard a loud crack. She turned, expecting to see Damon pulling something else to delay their awkward conversation, but her face contorted in horror instead.

Klaus had followed her home. The cracking sound had been Damon's neck.

Klaus smirked down at the heap that was Damon Salvatore. "It's not even worth it, really," He confessed to Elena, deciding to drop the stake in his hand instead of plunging it through Damon's chest.

Elena ran to Damon when Klaus began to move away. "That's what you get, doppelganger, for messing with my family. Next time, it goes through his chest. Maybe it won't be Damon, but Alaric... who knows..."

Elena watched Klaus leave, her fears rising, and her nerves gone. Would getting involved with Elijah prove to be her biggest mistake of all? She began to help Damon back towards her house, with tears falling down her face, with his body slumped against hers.


	10. Chapter 10

"_Klaus_ broke his neck?" Alaric stared at Elena, after they laid Damon out on the sofa inside the living room.

"Yeah," Elena confessed softly. She stared down at Damon, remembering a time when she would have cared more, seeing him like this. Now, she just wished that Damon had left her alone. "Why does he even care if I see Elijah, or if I don't? Klaus has never cared about who I've dated, even when he wanted to kill me..."

"You said he goaded you about Elijah's past with Katherine, maybe he is using you as some sort of revenge against Elijah?"

"But _Klaus_ was never in love with Katherine... he was only using her, so it would make it easier to get Katherine to trust him back then. Elijah told me it nearly worked, until Katherine learned that Klaus was going to kill her. Then she ran away from them."

Alaric smirked. "But Elena, didn't Klaus and Elijah both hint, more than once, that Elijah's relationship with Katherine has actually spanned decades? Maybe even longer?"

"Yeah, so," Elena agreed, sounding annoyed.

"Maybe Klaus felt that Elijah stole her away from him, all the same? So, maybe with you, maybe he intends to use you to get back at Elijah, for taking away, what he felt, belonged to him?"

"Yeah, well, I think it's going to be more then that... that just sounds too easy," Elena replied uneasily.

Elena got up to leave, and to go to bed.

"Aren't you going to stick around, for _superman_ here, to wake up?" Alaric asked after her.

Elena chuckled darkly. "Damon said you two are still _buddies_, so you do that. I'm tired, and in no mood to tolerate Damon anymore. Good night."

* * *

"So, Niklaus, what was all of this, tonight?" Elijah started. He let the front door to the family mansion fall shut on it's own.

Elijah walked in like he owed the place, taking the usual attitude of his brother. Klaus glowered at his brother from the library, which was directly across from the entrance to the home. "Whatever do you mean, brother?"

Klaus took another drink of wine from the glass in his hands. Elijah slapped the glass away, which went flying against a near by wall.

"Easy!" Klaus snapped.

"What is your purpose for targeting Elena, Niklaus?" Elijah ventured right away. "Do not make me ask the question twice."

"The trashy little doppelgangers need to stay away from my family," Klaus snapped back nastily.

"Why do you care who _I _am with, Niklaus?" Elijah insisted icily. "I can appreciate your rage about _Katerina_, but _Elena._.. she has done nothing to deserve this..."

"Recently, you mean," Klaus sneered.

"Niklaus..." Elijah started, shouting now.

"Fine," Klaus barked, cutting Elijah off. "I need something from your little new _favourite_, Elijah."

"What do you possibly need with her? Elena is a vampire now, completely worthless to you..."

"My witches have told me, on the full moon, they can open up the other side. They know how to find someone, over there, which can help me with my little predicament. I have discovered that there is a coven in New Orleans that would like to see me dead..."

"You told me that was taken care of..."

"Hayley was not with child, and is currently on the run. I have no further concern with her..."

"What is it then?" Elijah asked softly, seeing an unusual worry in Klaus's eyes.

"The New Orleans coven... they have discovered a way... to undo the magic that makes me a vampire..."

"What?" Elijah was shocked.

"I will no longer be immortal, if they get their way..."

Elijah was speechless, until he connected what Klaus intended to use Elena for.

"You intend to kill Elena, use her blood, to what end, Niklaus?"

"Elena's family is connected with ours, going back centuries..._it has to be her._ Unless you really want me to choose between the few siblings we have left on this world? Would you _volunteer_?" Klaus stared hard at Elijah, knowing that he would not. "It has to be someone that is connected to my past, _in some way_...I would use _Katerina_, but she has skipped town again... or, that is what her new _boyfriend_ says..."

"We can find another way," Elijah insisted. He refused to see Elena used in this way, yet again. And he especially refused to let Klaus get to him about Katerina.

It had pained to realize that, yet again, Katerina had not been entirely sincere in her intentions toward him. At one point, she had declared that she had loved him. But at the first opportunity to ensnare Stefan Salvatore, she forgot that he existed. Those feelings, her promises, suddenly had meant nothing serious.

Katerina had said she had got caught up in the moment, and had left over 500 years of history, just like that.

At first, pursing Elena, had been a welcomed distraction, from a lot of old heartache. But his prior feelings for her had stirred, and Elijah realized that he saw her as much more than another mirror image to Katerina. They were two women, who were exactly alike in appearance, but so different with their personalities.

Elena was different from when he first knew her. No longer a girl who saw everything as solvable, but a vampire, who had grown, matured, and had become one of the most interesting, complex women he had ever known. She had insisted he declare how he could possibly fall in love with her, after being involved with two of her identical ancestors. But Elijah did not easily speak his feelings aloud, to anyone.

Elena had then pulled the plug on their romantic relationship, admitting great insecurities, not knowing if she could be in such a position again. Elijah forgot at times, how her two prior lovers, had been in love with Katerina as well. He just couldn't bring himself to see similarities between the two women, other than the obvious. It was those similarities, which apparently, bothered Elena very much.

His problem, with all of this, was the fact that he didn't believe he could respect Elena's wishes, in believing that their relationship was now over. Elijah had loved Katerina, for many, many years, through out time, but he was no longer so blinded by her. She had taken one too many liberties, pushed one too many boundaries, all to chase her latest whim.

And that was all that Stefan Salvatore was to Katerina Petrova. He was the one she had wanted, and he was the one who had slipped away, before she could really have him. Foolishly, Stefan believed her to be sincere. Eventually, he would learn as he did, that Katerina is incapable of being sincere.

Elijah paused, realizing he needed to focus on the matter at hand. But Klaus was already gone. He would have to seek help else where, if he wanted to save Elena from all of this.


	11. Chapter 11

Bonnie sat down on her bed, inside her family home. Her father was away with his girlfriend, leaving Bonnie with the rare time to herself.

Her mother was still involved in her life, but stayed at a safe distance. Her mother, more and more, found it difficult to be a vampire. Her mother found it even more difficult to be a vampire that lived too close to humans.

Caroline had told her that some vampires never quite grew accustom, to the near constant urge to feed from people. Bonnie hoped that her mother would somehow, prove to be the acceptation someday.

Ever since her "rise from the dead", life in itself, was proving to be difficult. Bonnie was just thankful that the events of what was really a near death, hadn't succeeded in making it a permanent one.

Elena had battled Katherine, and won. Everyone believed that Elena had fed Katherine the cure for vampirism, but it had actually been another false cure. Bonnie had revealed that to no one yet, but she suspected by now, that she likely didn't have too, given Katherine's involvement with Stefan.

Silas had never quite succeeded in rising from his grave, and his powers appeared to be gone, since no one seemed to have been bothered by Silas in months.

Personally, Bonnie wasn't quite right, and yet, she couldn't be better. Her friendship with Elena, had all but dwindled, by her romantic involvement with the vampire who killed Bonnie's mother. Bonnie just couldn't wrap her head around the fact, that Elena, thought it was perfectly acceptable to start sleeping with a vampire, that time and again, proved to be nothing but a monster.

Bonnie knew that Elena was a vampire too, but she just couldn't use that as an excuse to be alright with that relationship. And Elena hadn't helped things either, with their friendship. Elena had easily slipped out of her life, when it was clear she wasn't going to be okay with her seeing Damon.

Bonnie had since heard that the relationship was over, but Bonnie still felt no urge to make contact with Elena. Elena had changed, and not for the better. She was a more shallow, self-centred person, who only cared about herself.

Bonnie's relationship with Jeremy hadn't lasted long after Silas's defeat. She loved him, and always would, but there were too many differences between them. Elena, was only one of them. Jeremy had enveloped himself back into high school life, quite successfully, after the summer. There was a girl named Rachel he had become friends with, before returning to school this year. Jeremy had remained loyal to her, but Bonnie could tell that Jeremy had really fallen for this girl. Instead of feeling angry, or jealous, Bonnie had felt happy for Jeremy. She was the one who had ended things, wanting to make it alright for Jeremy.

Bonnie knew that Jeremy had recently started dating Rachel, and they were happy together. Matt tried to deny it at first, but admitted it when it was clear that Bonnie was okay with it. He then had shocked Bonnie by asking her out on their first date. They had been seeing each other, ever since. Matt would be even attending Whitmore, next term.

As soon as she started dating Matt, Bonnie moved to her own room at Whitmore. She knew that Caroline would likely support their new relationship, but Elena was always weird when it came to seeing her ex's with other people. Bonnie planned to tell Caroline soon.

Bonnie rose from the bed, putting down a book she had in her hands. She moved toward her bathroom door, and then screamed aloud at the sight of Klaus, standing inside, seemingly waiting for her.

"I'm in need of your services, _witch_," Klaus smiled, before Bonnie blacked out entirely.

* * *

It was early in the morning. Too early, for Alaric's taste. There was no need to up for at least another two hours for work, but here he was, peeking outside his front window to see what other vampires were a foot.

Apparently, there was another at his door. The one he had let in earlier had been enough to deal with. Damon had been like a pissed off bear with a very sore... how did that go again? Anyway, he here went, letting in another vampire. Why? This one, he understood, was currently dating Elena, or had been, until very recently... From how Elena had went on and on about it, Alaric suspected that this separation would not go on for long, so he begrudgingly let Elijah inside.

Alaric had desperately tried to seek a reason to protest the relationship, but he thought better of it. Elena was no longer just a teenage girl in his care, she was a vampire now, and needed no help from him to protect herself from anyone. It had been the only rational he could come up with for looking the other way upon learning that Damon had been the new love of Elena's life, and Stefan was history, just like that. Hopefully, whatever path Elena was on with Elijah, would prove to be the better track.

"A little early isn't for picking up the girlfriend?" Alaric smirked to Elijah tiredly. "I've known her for two years, and word of advice, let her sleep until at least 7am."

Elijah was utterly befuddled by Alaric's response, but soon recovered. "Actually, I'm here to see you. Elena may be in serious danger..."

Alaric sighed. He just wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. Time to accept it. "How is she in danger by being asleep?" Alaric winced when his voice sounded like a wine. He'd been hanging around Damon too much lately.

"Have you ever heard of the witches coven in New Orleans? Apparently, they wish to slaughter my brother."

"That's all?" Alaric smirked. Seeing Elijah's hard expression, he smiled sheepishly.

"Years ago, my family ran New Orleans, under our control. We helped build it, make it what it is today. However, in our absence, others have taken over that control. The witches no longer wish to have to submit to anyone, and want to start by taking out the family that they hold responsible for everything. And they want to begin with my brother, Niklaus, by taking away the magic that makes him a vampire..."

"Is that even possible?" Alaric was surprised.

"I believe so. But we will not know for certain, until they resurrect a witch powerful enough to do such a thing. And they wish to sacrifice Elena, not because she is a doppelganger, or a vampire, but due to her family's link with mine. It was her ancestor's blood that made us vampires. Niklaus has tried to say it's due to our families link in the past, but I believe it's her blood itself."

"But if they are wanting to kill her, that's a whole lot of blood..."

"Exactly. What I believe they plan to do is kill Elena and resurrect our mother to kill us all... as humans... as she once tried to do before."

"But why in New Orleans, when you're all here?"

"New Orleans is a place of very old, ancestral magic. Much more powerful than anything that they could do here to us."

"What does Klaus really mean by "link" though?" Alaric pressed. "There's others he could have picked out for this. I don't believe a 1000-year-old hybrid is dependant on the smallest acquittance he has, to a much younger vampire, which he already murdered once."

"My friend, believes, that what Klaus means to do, is use a form of time travel with his witch, using dark magic."

"How is something like that, even possible?" Alaric argued, still hating the fact that Elena was at risk, again, because of the originals. "Time travel is nothing but fiction."

"And a heavy population of the world believes that so are vampires, yet, here we sit," Elijah argued swiftly.

Alaric scowled. He hated being reminded of the fact that he, too, was a vampire. That was something he liked to ignore. He had Elena to help, with what she was going through, and that was enough to deal with. His own issues, could wait.

Elena liked to pretend that she grasped everything now in the world of being a vampire, but her relationship with Damon had helped her do the exact opposite. Slowly, she was realizing things. And he'd be there to support her, if she needed it.

"You're right," Alaric admitted begrudgingly. "Now, what do you need, out of me?"

Elijah paused. "I want you, Rick, to convince a certain young witch that we both are familiar with to assist my brother. If Bonnie is unable to be convinced, I fear that Niklaus will resort to his own methods."

Alaric was surprised that Klaus would risk bringing harm to Bonnie as she was one of the people that Caroline cared greatly for, and Klaus had cared greatly for Elena's blond friend, the last he checked. "Isn't Klaus afraid of pissing off Caroline, with all of this? She'll never like him, if he starts murdering her friends."

"Niklaus puts the needs of himself above all, even those his cares deeply for. Even over his family, if need be. His affection for Caroline Forbes, will not stop this."

"I'm still not getting you on the time travel thing," Alaric shook his head. "Are you going to send Elena, back in time?"

"No, Niklaus is hoping to pull free my mother, from the past, with the right spell. He hopes to use her to stop the New Orleans witches, then, he will likely kill her, if she doesn't kill him first."

"Sounds messy," said Alaric, getting up with a sigh.

"Where are you going?" asked Elijah. He was watching Alaric leave the room.

"I'm going to go wake up the vampire upstairs, and hope you don't piss her off too, with your story."

Alaric stopped before going to Elena's bedroom, and instead went to his own first. He picked up his cell phone and sent a text to Stefan.

"_Elijah's here. We have trouble." _

Alaric would have contacted Damon first, but he figured that Elena likely wouldn't appreciate that. He opened Elena's bedroom door, after knocking, and called out for her to wake up.

Elena yawned and sat up. "You promised you'd let me sleep in," She said pouting.

"Yeah, well," Alaric replied, trying not to give a bitter laugh. "We have trouble."


	12. Chapter 12

"So, what am I supposed to do, here?" Elena asked softly. She watched Elijah's face for an answer. "You really don't expect me to just go with you, and you hand me over to Klaus?"

"It's more complicated then that, and I'm not offering you up to be a victim, Elena," Elijah replied back, his tone hard. "No matter what happens, I'll not let you suffer, in order to save Klaus." Elijah reached for her and she let him touch her face. Elena relaxed into his touch, but only for a moment.

Elijah frowned, hiding great disappointment that he felt that he had to prove anything to her. He loved her, wholeheartedly, and it wasn't because she resembled Tatia or Katerina. Why could she not see that? "You are no play thing to me, Elena," Elijah said, speaking aloud some of his thoughts. She looked at him, shocked he'd say that, but said nothing.

Instead, Elena moved further away from him, on the sofa, inside the living room. It made Elijah wish that Alaric had stuck around for this conversation.

"Do you think so little of me, of our entire time together?"

Elena, hesitant to answer him, forced herself to meet his gaze. "I meant what I said, Elijah. I can't go there again, like I did with Damon, and Stefan. They both only noticed me, to begin with, because I looked like her."

"Yet both went on to love you, adore you, realizing how different you are from Katherine," Elijah hated his voice was sounding almost hateful, but he could not help it. "I am no fool, Elena, that doesn't know the difference between lust and love. What I feel for you, is certainly real. And I never felt this way before, for I have not been in love with you, until our time together began...forgive, my ignorance, in not realizing myself sooner, Elena," He nearly whispered. "For not seeing sooner, that I could love you... You are a hardhearted woman, Elena, despite having so many who have cared for you, in your life..."

Elena's eyes filled brightly with tears, finally seeing that Elijah was being as honest with her as he possibly could be. She felt his love for her, but she had hurt him, for feeling that way about her. For wanting, desiring her, and falling in love with her, when she hadn't been ready to believe it.

Elena reached for him, his hands, admiring how perfect they melted to hers. "Elijah, I feel more for you, than I have ever told you. I have been just so scared, that it's going to slip away too. That, for whatever reason, you're going to change your mind one day, and..."

Elijah then moved suddenly, faster than she blinked, sealing away her fears with a kiss. Elena lost herself to the feeling, forgetting everything else, for the moment. He broke away, and touched her face softly. "How about we save the long speeches, Elena, and just admit to ourselves that we are, in fact, together."

Elena grinned happily. "I think I can do that." She then kissed him, taking care as she did so.

* * *

Alaric met Stefan at the end of his drive way. He could still hear Elena and Elijah, from inside the house. They were too distracted with each other, to care what he was doing at the moment.

"What's going on, Rick?" Stefan asked immediately. Alaric knew that he was lucky that Stefan even agreed to come. Alaric was just happy that Stefan's presumed new girlfriend, Katherine, was absent.

"Elijah said that some witches in New Orleans are out to kill Klaus. He needs to use Elena, in order to bring back the mother of all witches, in order to destroy the New Orleans coven. They need Elena for the exact opposite. They want to make Klaus, just a wolf again, so he can be killed. I say we let it happen."

"Sounds good," Stefan agreed. "Count me in."


	13. Chapter 13

"Markus, we are here," said Elijah.

The male witch seemingly appeared, out of thin air. Elena moved closer to Elijah, not liking this, one bit. They were with the witch, in the middle of the park, in town. It was late, dark. Elena knew she shouldn't be afraid, but she was.

"The incarnation of _Amara_," said Markus in an accent Elena had never heard before. "Yet, she is with _you_. One would believe she would have chosen her_ true love_ as a mate. What have you done, _Elijah_?"

Elena flinched, feeling visibly touched by something unexplainable. Nothing had physically touched her, yet she felt as if the wind knocked into her.

"Elena is with me, yes. But of her own accord, Markus," Elijah replied, his voice hard. "I have no claim over her, only that I love her."

Elena beamed at hearing those words, but she stared back to the male witch, not liking his curiosity into her personal life.

"I believed after the sire bond broke, you would have returned to your true love," Markus went on, forgetting as if Elijah was even there.

"My _true love_...?" Elena asked, confused, and getting more upset by the minute.

"You must feel the pull toward him. Your love has always been powerful..."

"_Elijah_..." Elena began, getting frightened now.

Markus now stood right in front of her. "Did you not fall in love with_ Stefan Salvatore_?"

Elena blinked. "...Yes... but, that's... that's over..."

"Hmm," Markus said softly. "I hadn't believed that the _sire bond_ would have so easily disrupted your love for Stefan... perhaps, you are not a true incarnation..."

"What the hell is this?" Elena snapped instead. "My personal life is none of your business..." Elena then glared at Elijah. "What's going on?"

"Elena, Markus is a special kind of witch... His coven has followed your family, through time... starting back to Silas..."

"Just like your original vampire friends, Elena," said Markus. "They haven't been able to stay away from you, in any incarnation... Linked to your family, like lechers..."

"I thought you said he was a friend," Elena spat to Elijah.

"Klaus's friend actually," quipped Elijah. Elena glared at Elijah again.

"Not a great way to greet an old acquaintance," breathed Elena softly, still feeling unnerved by Markus.

"Alright," said Klaus, appearing on the field of grass too. "Let's get this started." Elena stared at the original hybrid, who wasn't alone.

Bonnie.

"Ah, you brought the local witch," noted Markus. His interest was to Bonnie now, and Elena to looked to Elijah with a growing fear in her eyes.

"You never told me a lot of things," Elena told Elijah. Elijah reached for Elena. "You've heard the story of Silas... I did not think it mattered that you looked like his wife... you've already had much to deal with, in that respect."

"Why does he care that I do, Elijah?" Elena whispered.

"I'll tell you when we get home," Elijah promised.

Elijah silenced her lips with a soft kiss. Elena stayed quiet, for now.

"Do the spell," Klaus ordered Bonnie.

Bonnie glared at the hybrid, but then went on her knees, beginning to chant. Markus soon followed, repeating her actions and words. There was a glowing white light that rocked the property they were on, and Elena felt the invisible touch again. This time it robbed her of air completely, and she fainted.

* * *

"You know what this spell does, don't you?" Elena could hear Bonnie talking to someone.

"It is a required evil, my apologizes," said Markus.

Elena stood up with Elijah's help. "What are they saying?" Elena asked Elijah, but he ignored her. Elijah surprised Elena by forcing her to him, and they vanished into the air.

He released her a few blocks from the park and Elena fought the urge to slap him. "What was all of that, Elijah? Why did I faint? Why did I have to be there at all?"

Elijah looked to be deciding if he should even tell her anything. "Elena, Markus would not do anything that could potentially kill you. His coven has worshipped your family for longer than I have been alive. Amara was married to their coven leader, Silas. She was seen as a white light who kept Silas on a positive path, which lead to him saving their people. When she died, Silas never recovered from her loss. He eventually turned to dark magic and went insane. A doppelganger appeared, 500 years after her death, said to be seeking her true love. She never found him and died of a broken heart. 500 years after her death, there was Tatia. You know what became of her, and the _rest of the story_..."

"So, Stefan, was supposed to be my _true love_, my Silas..."

"Or Katherine's..." Elijah replied, catching Elena off guard. She had not considered that. Elena wasn't certain if she even wanted to think about any of it.

Stefan had been the one she had loved with her entire heart, but it still didn't work out in the end. The travellers should have read the fine print. Sometimes love failed, for whatever the reason. If Stefan was really her true love as this ancient witch coven claimed, wouldn't they have been able to sort out the differences that still separated them? Wouldn't have Stefan been able to forgive her, and actually still want to be with her? No, sometimes true love died. Elena Gilbert believed that firmly. It was the reason why she had such hesitation about being with Elijah.

The realization that Stefan was never going to let go of the things she did, and that despite their past, and how they once felt about each other, their relationship was really over this time. It had hit Elena like a ton of bricks. And being given a new chance to be with someone who loves you, after such a loss, it was hard to trust that it was real.

But she did now. Elena had given herself over to really giving into her feelings for Elijah. She had let go of her mistakes, meaning she had forgiven herself for the misstep she took with Damon.

She believed that Damon hated her less than he did before, and would likely forgive her with time. Elena had no romantic interest left when it came to the elder Salvatore, but she would always treasure the smallest glimpses of humanity that Damon had allowed her to see in the time they have known each other. _That Damon_, would always be her friend. Their relationship had been a lesson in learning that Damon had never been meant to be more to her then that.

Stefan. A part of Elena would always love him. But he wasn't the one she was meant to spend forever with. They would still be together, still fighting for each other, if they had been meant to be with each other forever. Eventually, she knew that Stefan would figure that out, and find something that would make life good again, like she had. Although, Elena suspected, they still had some things to work on.

Elena did not like being lied too. Elijah would have to learn to be okay with that, and share everything with her. It was the only way that this relationship was going to work out. She would not return to what she had dealt with when it came to Stefan and Damon. Both had kept little truths from her, claiming it to be for the greater good. Eventually, it just helped separate her from the both of them, in the end.

Elena was going to ask Elijah if the spell worked when she felt something touch her shoulder. She turned to see the originals mother standing behind her, Esther. Elena felt everything give away and darkness took her.


	14. Chapter 14

Elena awakened a few hours later, surprised to see Stefan Salvatore sitting beside her. She sat up, realizing she'd been brought to the Salvatore's mansion. She was inside one of the guest bedrooms. And frankly, her head hurt like hell.

Elena touched the back of her head, wincing. "What's going on, Stefan?"

"Well, from what Bonnie said, you were killed by the spell that was performed to bring back Elijah's mother," Stefan said, shocking her. "But it seems the _you're a vampire thing_ kicked in and healed you anyway." Stefan finished, smirking slightly.

"I'm still a..." Elena trailed off. "..vampire..."

Stefan grabbed her hand and pulled it into a ray of sunlight coming into the room, after yanking off her ring. Elena hissed furiously when the sun burned and Stefan let her go. "Yeah, I'd say so," Stefan then chuckled.

"No need to be an ass," Elena snapped.

"Sure about that?" Stefan asked, humour still in his tone. "I have two originals in my house, and my ex-girlfriend just died, again, because of them. There's got to be some logic in there somewhere..."

"I offered to help...I wanted to, Stefan. It wasn't their fault."

"If you'd still have been human, Elena, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. You would still be dead."

Elena hesitated in saying anything else. Stefan wasn't in the place to care about the decisions she made anymore. This entire conversation surprised her, because Stefan supposedly no longer cared about her at all. Perhaps, he did. But it still changed nothing, when it came down to it.

"Stefan, I'm alright. So, we can leave it at that," Elena said instead, choosing her words carefully. "Where is Elijah?"

"Having the most awkward family reunion in history, down stairs," Stefan quipped. "Wanna see?" He offered softly.

Elena nodded appreciatively. Stefan offered her a hand and they slowly made their way down stairs together.

* * *

Elena arrived to the living room, just in time to see Esther exit with Klaus. Elena looked to Stefan who left her alone with Elijah.

Elijah moved closer to her, embracing her, before kissing her cheek. "I apologize for not being the one you first seen, when you awakened, Elena," Elijah told her, his voice soothing. "But family matters, needed my attending too..."

"What's happening, Elijah?" Elena asked instead. "Is your mother going to help Klaus with the New Orleans witches, or is she going to help _them_?"

"That is the question of the day," Elijah replied warily. "Mother claims that she doesn't want Klaus dead, but we have been there before with her. I will need to accompany Klaus and my other siblings to New Orleans. To ensure, all of this, works out..."

"I'll go with you," Elena offered softly, hating where this was likely going.

Elijah took her hands in his. "This may be awhile, Elena. I cannot promise when I would be ready to return to Mystic Falls. Or, if it will be happening, anytime soon."

Elena broke free her hands from his grip. "So, you don't want me to be with you..." She started painfully.

"Not at all, my love," Elijah whispered, taking her close to him again, forcing her to remain in his embrace. "I want to be with you, forever, Elena. But I know your attachment to your own family. If you were to leave them, _your friends_, I know that will be difficult for you. I welcome you with me, but at the same time, I cannot ask that of you. But it will be your decision to make."

Her relationships with her friends had been suffering for months. Jeremy was more grounded with Alaric's return to their lives. Her brother would be alright without her. And everything that had happened with Stefan and Damon, a break away from Mystic Falls, was exactly what she needed.

"Then I choose to go with you," Elena replied, her voice firm with her decision. Elijah beamed happily, taking her hand in his again.

"Then so you shall," He promised her.

* * *

Damon watched Elena say goodbye to Alaric, and told the former history teacher to look after her little brother for her. Elena then gave an uneasy goodbye with Stefan.

Stefan was no longer being rude, but there was still an awkwardness there, with him and Elena. Guilt threatened to creep in, but Damon pushed it back. He refused to feel that way anymore, when Elena was no longer with either of them. Sure, he hadn't helped anything but himself, when it had come to the destruction of Stefan's relationship with Elena. But he refused to linger on the things he couldn't change anymore.

His own romantic relationship with her was over, and so was Stefan's. It was time to move on. Damon braced himself when Elena approached him, ready to say her goodbye. Tears threatened to spill on his part, and he would have none of it. Elena was no longer his to feel anything for. He had to let her go, for his own sanity.

Instead of hearing what she had to say, Damon pulled her into a tight hug. One that Elena gladly returned. She was happy this was going to be easier than she had expected. It told Damon that she had already moved on. He hoped that he would be in that place someday too.

A place where his chest wouldn't ache at the mere sight of her.

"Go," Damon told her, letting her go. "We'll take care of the little Gilbert, over there," Damon promised her. Damon knew that he wouldn't, Rick would be doing the dirty work, but he'd make sure that the kid survived Mystic Falls long enough to see Elena again.

"Thanks Damon," Elena beamed gratefully at the elder Salvatore, knowing that this wasn't easy for him, but he was doing this for her. Showing that rare side of him that could be kind.

Elena went over to Elijah by the front door. "Goodbye everyone," Elena said softly, before exiting the house, feeling as if she were about to start a new life.

In a way, she was. Elena was committed to leaving behind the old, and starting over with the man she loved. That meant leaving behind the past, letting go of what she couldn't change. And doing all of that meant letting go of Stefan and Damon both, once and for all. And that was something she was finally ready to do.

"I love you," Elena whispered to Elijah, before she got inside his car outside. He smiled at her, knowing that she meant every word.

Soon, they'd be off to New Orleans. And once they finished this business his brother had, they could find their way together, to see where life would take them next.

* * *

The hotel, where they stayed, was like something from out of a movie. Elijah said the family home would be ready soon for them to move into, but, for now, they would be staying here.

A four-post bed stood in the middle of an 18th century bedroom. It was of average size, making the room look all the more comfortable to Elena. She grasped Elijah's hands in hers when she felt his touch on her shoulders. He'd removed her jacket for her and she let him.

Any moment where he was close was wonderful, and made her spirit hum to life. Stefan, despite what passion they had shared once, he'd never had this affect on her. No one had, in fact.

"This is your room," Elijah whispered into her hair, enjoying the feel of it in his hands.

"Can't it be ours," Elena said, offering. She turned to him, touching his cheek. She smiled at the way his skin felt under her hand. It had been too long, and they had let so much get in their way.

Elijah nodded, smiling almost shyly. Elena watched him, fascinated, knowing his experience gave him no reason to be. He gently began to remove the sleeveless blouse she wore, touching bare skin as it revealed itself. His lips studied the feel of her skin, and Elena took the time to enjoy it.

She soon stood half bare to him, and Elijah pulled her closer, more aggressive now. Elena giggled, and she stopped immediately, realizing she showed her youth. "Never be afraid with me," Elijah said, touching her bare arm, gently with his fingers.

Elena nodded in agreement, before taking the next step, kissing Elijah with deep passion. She finished, staring at him adoringly. This was right, and she had made the right decision. She wasn't meant to be a prize between two brothers. Elena knew the truth. She was meant to be with this man.

Elijah removed his jacket next, and Elena helped him with the shirt that followed. She then pressed herself to his bare back, enjoying the moment, enjoying the chance to study his chest with her hands.

Soon, Elijah turned around to face her, seeking lips, and taking the lead. He pulled her close, lifting her so that her legs wrapped around him while he stood in place. Elena smiled into his lips, moving herself so that she was in the position to take the lead from him.

She rode him like that, and Elijah enjoyed the moment, enjoying seeing her so free in her passion for him. Nothing would stop them now.


	15. Chapter 15

"You took your sweet time getting here," Klaus spat immediately at the sight of his older brother walking into the main foyer of their family estate in New Orleans. "And where is the little Petrova doll? Did she not come with you, choosing her _Salvatore's_ instead?" Klaus finished mockingly.

His brother would always hate him for Tatia, the girl he had loved, but could not love just him. And then Katerina, a pawn in his game, but it had been _Tatia_, all over again, to _Niklaus. _Katerina and himself had developed a friendship, and then _something more_. Niklaus had claimed no real affection for Katerina, but there had been times over the centuries that Elijah had to stop and wonder if his brother had been lying to himself.

"I wanted to see Elena settled, before I came here," Elijah replied easily. "I want her to know what New Orleans has to offer before I envelop her into this place with the rest of us," Elijah finished lastly, and Klaus found no reason to argue that further for the moment. "How is Kol and mother?"

"Kol is doing _swimmingly_ for one who just rose from the dead, and mother, has locked herself away from the rest of us. Who knows what she is plotting," Klaus then sneered. "I would suggest to keep the little doppelganger away from her, for now, though. I do recall mother having a fancy for _Petrova_ blood..."

Elijah recoiled at the memory. Tatia's end would forever be burned into his memory. Despite her inability to choose just one lover, Tatia did not deserve the end that his mother had dealt her. "Elena will be fine, Niklaus. She has recovered famously."

"Nothing like dying unexpectedly for love," Klaus quipped darkly, taking care of the drink in his hand.

"She's a vampire," Elijah said. Even to him, the argument sounded lame.

"And that excuses setting up your _beloved_ to be murdered by your family," Klaus quipped, his eyes dancing with drink.

"I've had enough, Niklaus," Elijah replied, his voice with an edge. "I'm going to go check on our siblings, since you've occupied yourself tonight by drinking your weight in bourbon."

"Excuse my insolence brother," Klaus spoke softly. His eyes still held that questionable, dangerous edge to them. Never a good thing to witness. Deadly consequences usually followed.

Elijah, knowing better, left Klaus alone to stew in his drunkenness.

* * *

"Ah, there you are, brother," Kol beamed with a glint in his eye. Elijah knew from experience that usually meant trouble wasn't far away. Death hadn't changed Kol at all.

"I came to see how you were settling in," Elijah told him honestly. This threw Kol a bit.

"Oh, do you care that much?" Kol teased immediately. "Did you miss your little brother?"

"Honestly," admitted Elijah, going further into the living room. "I did. Very much."

Kol nodded at that, seemingly pleased that one of his elder siblings actually seemed to care about him, despite all his wrongs over the years.

"So what's with you and the newest _doppelganger_?" Kol pressed. "After that last one, I'm stunned brother that you'd be so easily taken in..."

"I'm not _taken in _by Elena, Kol. I'm in love with her. Have you not ever experienced it, at least once?"

"Not to the desperate lengths that you and brother have gone..."

"You believe that Niklaus was in love?" Elijah questioned. He sat across from Kol.

"That Tatia cast a charm over him that lasted hundreds of years before he'd even show the slightest sincerity to a woman again. No one, not even you, Elijah, believed he'd ever recover from her death. When that Katerina came about, he hated the very sight of her. Saw the doppelganger curse as an insult to Tatia's memory, until he finally admitted it was real, and he had the chance to break the spell mother left him with."

Elijah listened, not quite ever thinking like that about the doppelganger curse himself. But it did make sense, explaining Niklaus's almost hostile reaction to the discovery of Katerina, which he had masked with seduction when he realized that Katerina was a doppelganger, and her looks were not simply an inherited trait. That hostility only grew when Niklaus felt that Katerina had betrayed him by running away from him. Perhaps, that is why Niklaus also seemed to carry that hostility onto Elena. Yet another girl that dared to be born with Tatia's face haunting him.

"Elena is not Tatia though, Kol. Nor is she Katerina. She is her own separate woman, who I adore. Please, I ask of you, treat her with some level of respect, if only for the affection I bare her."

Kol nodded. "Ah, I guess I can do that. But I wouldn't expect the same from Rebekah. She's had enough bother since getting here, and the addition of a Petrova will not help things."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked. He soon realized that he did not sense Rebekah in the house.

"She has been busy trying to keep the wolves at bay. They don't like the news that the big bad hybrid has returned. Niklaus believes we should show no bother and simply kill them all."

"Of course he would," Elijah quipped. He did not like hearing what he'd lead Elena into. Everything was likely much worse than he'd thought.

* * *

Elena rested for a lot of the day before deciding to venture out into the city by herself. It was so nice to be able to just wake up without having any worries, or having to stop and wonder if you were being silently judged by those who were once your dearest friends.

Plus, Elena told herself that she shouldn't have to wait for Elijah to return before seeing some sights of the city. She was a vampire, not the human girl she once had been when she had first met him. She didn't need anyone to protect her anymore. She didn't need someone to come save her.

The music on the streets drew her along in the sunlight. Everyone looked to be having the time of their lives in New Orleans. Elena let herself smile, feeling really happy for the first time in a long while.

It was the best decision she could have made to come here with Elijah. Here, maybe, their relationship would flourish. Maybe they'd even choose to stay here after everything was settled with his family.

Elena stopped, thinking about entering a shop, but she stopped short after being confronted with a familiar face. "Hayley, I didn't expect to see you here. How are you?" Elena asked formally. She had not seen the girl since last year, when she had come to Mystic Falls to spend time with Tyler.

Elena did not like the closeness that had been obvious between Hayley and Tyler, and it had helped lead to the down fall of her best friend's relationship with him. Caroline hadn't quite let that go, and Tyler had fallen in with his werewolf pack, and seeking revenge against Klaus. Everything had just become too much for Tyler and Caroline to stay together. Also Caroline had started developing feelings for a certain hybrid. Feelings she had been yet been able to acknowledge to herself. But Elena suspected that one day she would.

"Oh, I came to spend time with some family. My pack lives here. My real mother and father grew up here. And, I was seeing someone. I hope to see him again soon."

"Oh, that's great," Elena beamed, feeling happy for the girl she barely knew.

"I know that you two know each other," Hayley went on. "Have you seen Elijah, since you got here, by any chance?"

With that question, Elena felt all her happiness of the day, drain away. It was like it had never been there to begin with.


	16. Chapter 16

Elijah returned to the hotel suite he had rented for Elena, later that night. He longed to be with her, after a long day in the presence of his family. He missed her so much today, he'd begun to rethink the plan to gradually introduce her into the family estate, and move her there to be with him, immediately.

It was so wonderful to know that he could see her every day, and Elijah no longer held that doubt that Elena could change her mind any moment about him, and decide she had made a mistake. That it was Damon she truly loved, and wanted to be with. All of that worry had been wiped away with her decision to go with him to New Orleans. It proved that she was committed to him, and wanted this new relationship to last as much as he did.

Elijah did not see Elena until he reached the bedroom, finding her sitting ridged, on the side of the bed. She appeared to have been crying, and his heart broke, seeing the happiness from earlier had escaped her.

"Love, what is it?" Elijah moved to sit beside her and she shifted slightly. Her shoulders trembled. "Elena?" He cupped her face with a hand and she looked at him. Her big brown eyes were sad, showing a broken reflection.

"I saw her today," Elena said, her voice a mask.

"Who, love?" Elijah gently said. He'd kill anyone that had dared to rip the joy from the woman he loved.

"Hayley," She replied, her voice hating the name. Elijah did now too.

Elijah sighed sadly, wishing he'd been able to do it all differently. He should have told Elena perhaps, but compared to the present, the past no longer mattered to him. And she didn't. Hayley no longer mattered to him. Elijah honestly wasn't certain if she ever did.

"Ah," Elijah said. He took a moment, searching for Elena's eyes. "Hayley has an unusual tie to my family, Elena. However, what happened between her and myself, has little to do with it. You see, we believed, briefly, that she was carrying my brothers child. I took steps to try and help her. Niklaus doesn't even know the extent that I had went to."

"What!" Elena started, angry. "That isn't possible. Klaus is a vampire, he can't get anyone..."

"He was born a werewolf, Elena. And Hayley and my brother, are both descendants from a very ancient werewolf pack from this area. "

"But what of you and her... if she was with Klaus..."

"Elena, I was involved with Hayley, but it did not grow into anything worth mentioning or remembering. And it was brief. And a mistake on my part."

"A mistake..." Elena started again, in tears. Elijah hushed her with a brief kiss to the lips.

"Yes, a mistake. As Hayley, I soon realized, carried affection for me, where I held none for her. I had just lost Katerina..."

"I thought I was the only one since _Katherine_... you lead me to believe such..." Elena's voice still showed hurt, pain.

"I am truly sorry, Elena. I should have took the time to tell you everything, before coming here."

"Are there any more recent, secret lovers in the closet?" Elena asked softly, her tone hard.

"You are _my only love_, Elena, and the _only lover _whom I want," Elijah pledged, taking her hands in his.

Elena nodded at that, but the damage was done. Still visible in her eyes as he kissed her again.

* * *

"You have done well, here," The older woman smiled, looking around like she owned the place.

The young witch looked up from her front counter of her shop, surprised to see a customer, where they had been none a few seconds ago.

"Hey, my grandma won't like another witch, snooping around in here," said the young witch.

"Oh, you know who I am," The older woman exclaimed, happily surprised. "Very good of your grandmother to tell you that. You are Davina, are you not?"

The young witch flinched as the older witch worked herself into her thoughts. "I don't know what you mean. I was raised by my aunt," started the girl, feeling less brave after sensing the magic coming off of this witch.

"Until you were four years old, and a vampire named _Marcel_, killed her. Then your grandmother took you in, and has raised you, here." The older witch seemed pleased that the young witch was no longer fighting her. "You see, Davina. I have met you before. I watch out for ones who are powerful, like myself. And, I need your help with completing a spell. One that will rid my family of two ancient plagues upon it. Only then, I will be able to truly save my children."

"What will the spell do?" gasped the girl, sensing it was for something evil. And this witch would not let her refuse her help.

"I want to recreate the gate keeper for the supernatural purgatory. The supernatural, call that purgatory, the Other side. The gate has been broken. It allowed myself to cross back over. But you see, it also allowed other members of my family to do the same. And those, who should have remained there. But the recreation of the gate keeper will restore the magic wall between this world and theirs. Then, I will be able to finally put an end to my son's evil upon this world. I will kill him, and he won't be able to come back."

"Who are you?" Whispered the girl through tears of fear.

"Ah, my dear child. I am_ Esther,_" The witch smiled. "And you will help me get the gate keeper that I want. You will help me get _Elena_ Gilbert."


	17. Chapter 17

The day and night they spent in bed together, only took away the feelings of doubt for a short time for Elena. She realized she had been naive to think their problems would be over by a simple move of location. If it wasn't her past causing issues between them, it was now Elijah's apparent past. A past he hadn't even thought to share with her until she had literally been staring it in the face.

Were there more things he wasn't sharing with her? Were there other women he'd been with, others she had known somehow? And were there more women in the past, who were also linked romantically to his brother Klaus?

Elena had known about Tatia, and Katherine. Both had been difficult enough to deal with and accept. Now there was Hayley, the annoying girl that had succeeded putting a rift between Tyler and Caroline, and had apparently found time to sleep with Klaus, nearly find herself pregnant by him, and then start immediately sleeping with Elijah when she had discovered that she wasn't pregnant after all.

And a short month after all of that, Elijah had found himself in Mystic Falls, ready to pursue her into his bed for an affair. And he had said there had been no one for him since Katherine. Elena knew that maybe he had meant it, in a way. That Hayley wasn't someone he'd been in love with, so Elijah maybe hadn't thought she had been worth mentioning to her.

Elena wanted to allow that to stand as a perfect excuse for the dishonesty, another part of her was still wary of trusting Elijah, now he'd shown that he was capable of just up and walking away from someone, with no care for how they may feel.

Elena study the naked frame beside her in bed, taking in the beauty of his body. Briefly wondering what had kept them from doing this from the moment they had met. It would have saved so much time, so much grief.

Was it possible to be in love with someone, and be so utterly confused by them, all at once? Loving Elijah was an education so far in that respect. Elena reached out, touching skin, steering that frame into more touches, more kisses. She would make the ghost of others fade with time.

* * *

"What's up, short wolf," teased a familiar voice.

Hayley turned around to face the owner of that voice. "You're Kol, aren't you?" She quipped. The sun was bright on his face, but the werewolf could see the resemblance. This was the brother that looked like Elijah. The brother that was dead and for some reason, now wasn't.

"Ah, you've heard of me. And I have heard of you. You're the werewolf my brother nearly knocked up and then sent away, when he discovered you were lying to him about helping the witches against him. But I'm thinking maybe Niklaus should have just stuck your lying head on a street lamp instead for all to see. He let you go, and you go running to Elijah, playing up the damsel in distress bit. My brother gets taken in easily like that. But he saw through you, didn't he? He left you high and dry when he discovered that you tried to have his brother killed..."

"Elijah left me to protect me. He knew that Klaus would catch on if we stayed together, so he left. He knows that I had no choice in helping the witches. They were going to kill me..."

"But a betrayal is all the same in my family, short wolf. Elijah left you the moment he knew the truth because he stopped caring about you. He doesn't try to save those who try to harm his family."

"Elijah more than _cared about me,_" Hayley hissed. "Even he would admit that."

"Not now," Kol mocked darkly. "You see, he was again charmed by another _pretty little thing_. One he'll not be leaving, not _abandoning_, anytime soon. So, you should just leave while you can."

"What? Why do you care about what I do?" Hayley insisted.

"I fancy the taste of _short wolves_, love. Do not tempt my appetite. I am giving you a warning, out of courtesy to both of my brothers, who were both stupid enough to believe that a vampire could trust the likes of you," Kol snipped back, rather viciously. "But, I learnt my lesson, years ago. Starting with your pretty, fair little great g_rand mummy_ wolf, who thought it was a good idea to try and fry my baby sister with the sun after she discovered that I was a vampire. Dear _Charlotte_, wanted nothing to do with me after that. It utterly broke my heart. So, I then tracked down her family. I killed her beloved_ new intended_, believing I had succeeded in ruining her happiness, like she had ruined mine. I decided to allow her to live out her days in her own misery. But sadly, things got complicated for my family back then. I lost track of my darling _Charlotte, _not realizing she found new happiness. She married another wolf, like her, and they had one big _happy_ family. Do you know what I did after I finally escaped my box, Hayley?"

"What?" Hayley whispered, terrified by Kol's story.

"I tracked down my _beloved's_ family. And now, I stare the last of her, right in the face," Kol spoke soothingly, but his eyes were cold.

"Are you going to kill me?" Hayley stuttered.

"No," Kol replied easily. "But if you fail to leave New Orleans before the day is out, you will live to regret your choice. My mother is on the look out for a wolf to do a dirty little deed for her. If you show your face again, it's going to be you."

Hayley backed away from the Original and then ran for it. Kol watched her run, tempted to chase and kill her. But thought better of it. Mother may have need of the short wolf yet.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Elijah**_

_**Meet with me**_

_**Hayley**_

Elijah shut off his cell phone immediately at seeing the message. He had told Elena that Hayley was nothing to him, and he would live up to that. She was a woman he should have never gotten involved with, especially after her transgression with his brother.

Niklaus had held no real feeling for Hayley, but after getting past the initial shock that Hayley might be carrying his child, Niklaus had grown to care about the possibility of being a father. Hayley, needing emotional support, and finding none from his brother, Hayley had turned to him.

Elijah, not looking for a new connection with anyone, had let himself slip with Hayley. It had been so easy to envelop himself into her problems for awhile, and forget his own. He had mistaken his own worry, his own concern for her, for something more than it had been. He had wanted to believe he'd fallen in love with her. When she revealed that she had been mistaken with the pregnancy, she'd been devastated. And he had wanted to be taken further into her world, to be a new emotional connection for her. It had felt good to forget his own problems, to forget he'd been rejected by the woman he had loved, after pouring everything of himself into the new relationship they had forged.

But Hayley had proved herself to be someone he shouldn't have trusted. Out for her own gain, her own safety, above all. No, he would break no words or promises to Elena, for the likes of her. Elena was his future, Hayley would remain in the past. She would get no help from him.

Elijah then set off to see his brothers and sister.

* * *

Klaus walked across the town square, not searching for particularly anyone. However, he paused when he saw her. She was stunning in the sunlight. Caroline Forbes, the girl who had caught his eye, yet the timing never seemed quite right to pursue what brewed between them.

He'd come back to say goodbye to her, but thought better of it. She was better off not hearing what trouble awaited him in New Orleans, and Caroline would remain alive, if his mother never learned of his affection for her.

Perhaps, some day, they would get their chance.

She spotted him, and he smiled, simply enjoying the moment of watching her. Caroline smirked, and looked to be about to come towards him, but something stopped her. She paused, looking at something from behind him, before shouting for him immediately.

Klaus had no time to react before something invisible made him drop to his knees and cry out in sudden agony. "_Caroline_, stay back!" He managed to belt out, before another cry of pain ripped through his chest.

The young vampire did as she was told upon seeing who approached them on the grass. She watched in fear for him, helpless to save him.

Klaus turned around to see who is attacker was, but he should have known. "I have always known that we can never trust you," He confessed bitterly to his mother.

"It's time to get things started, Niklaus," his mother spoke softly, and as if she did not hear him. "I want you to kill the doppelganger," Esther then said, her voice emotionless.

"What?" Klaus was honestly surprised. He had expected his mother to use her magic and kill him right there. "Why would I do that for the likes of _you_?" Klaus then laughed darkly. "The doppelganger is a vampire, if you haven't noticed. Why would you have me kill a useless spell toy?" Klaus then barked, hating the woman before him.

"I want you to kill Elena Gilbert, because she has to die in order to help me restore the Other side. However, she will not be entirely dead. She will also be mortal again."

Klaus paused, considering his mothers words. A human doppelganger again, even if only half, might be worth more to him than two_ vampire _doppelgangers, who he could use for nothing.

"Where is she, now?" Klaus asked his mother, still eyeing her with wary eyes.

"Elena is still with your brother in New Orleans," Esther said. "Shall I book you a flight, or will you be driving?" His mother then pressed with a small smile.

Klaus stood and was then suddenly gone from sight, with Caroline Forbes shouting after him. His mother was no where to be seen.


	19. Chapter 19

Davina watched the young vampire enter a clothing store in the quarter. She couldn't believe how normal the young vampire looked. She wasn't evil. She wasn't harming anyone. Yet, she was about to die.

The young witch, looked off into the crowd, sensing the hybrid approach. He had come quickly after Esther had let her son know the stakes of the situation. Klaus, pausing outside the shop, reached into his coat for his cell phone.

Davina briefly wondered if Klaus would be able to resist his mothers directive, or if he was even aware of the fact his mother used magic against him to ensure he'd help her.

"_Elijah, I am about to do the worst thing that I have done to you, in recent memory," Klaus said into the phone, his voice reflecting the slightest specs of feeling. "I am unable to tell you everything, but know that this was not my plan." Klaus then snapped the phone closed, his eyes flashing yellow as he entered the shop. _

Davina winced visibly as screams ripped through the crowd, coming from the shop that Klaus had entered. The locator spell she had placed on _Elena Gilbert_ then just closed off. She was no longer able to sense the young vampire anymore. Davina suspected that maybe Klaus had been unable to control himself and killed her out right. Either way, her part was done.

The young witch hurried away into the crowd.

* * *

She could barely see, but she could hear them talking. Then, Elena remembered what had happened to her. She'd been looking at a new dress, and then_ Klaus_ was there. He then struck, biting into her neck, his eyes flashing yellow as he drank her blood _greedily. _

Before the darkness could take her, she remembered him speaking to her. Telling her that he was taking her to his mother, and that she might actually like what was in store for her. But there was a catch, _she had to die first. _

At first, Elena Gilbert hated being a vampire, but she had grown used to it. And she hated to admit it, but Damon had helped her do that. He'd shown her how to do everything to survive. There had been many bumps and bruises, and he'd made all the wrong choices, but he had taught her how to survive being how she was now. Elena honestly couldn't say if she was ready to be anything else again, or if she even wanted to be anything else. Elena liked being what she was now. It had lead her to being with Elijah.

The venom of the werewolf bite began to take hold of her, and Elena tried to focus on Elijah. She imagined he was here, soothing her, making everything alright again. They had just got together, and they were going to stay here, in New Orleans, and be happy. Elijah's unexpected revelation about Hayley, and his fling with her, seemed to be meaningless now. All she knew was that she loved Elijah more greatly than she ever did. And now, she wouldn't get to tell him so before Klaus let her die for his mother.

Elena could swear she saw moonlight as she took her last breath as a vampire.

* * *

"Where is she?" Elijah grasped hold of Niklaus's shirt.

Elijah felt wild, nearly desperate, after hearing his brothers cell phone message play back to him. Elijah believed he'd been playing it safe by keeping Elena at a distance from his family. He felt if he slowly inducted her into their lives, everything would be fine. They would see why he loved her, and in turn, cherish her as much as he did.

But it had been all for nothing. They stole her away when he hadn't been watching.

"It's too late, _Elijah_," Klaus tried softly. "The _doppelganger_ is dead. But, it's not finished _yet_."

"What have you and mother _done_?" Elijah pressed, his voice hard. He followed his brothers gaze into the living room.

There, Elijah could see wisps of Elena's long hair, hanging over her place on the sofa. Elijah stumbled closer, staring in disbelief at the body of his beloved.

Her heart beat sounded in his ears and Elijah dropped to the floor beside her, stunned by the sound. His mother hadn't killed Elena. He'd made her human.


	20. Chapter 20

Elena could feel herself breathing, and she couldn't hear everything like she had before. She lay on a sofa, with her head up on soft pillows. She opened her eyes, and realized immediately she had been moved to a different place.

She forced herself to sit up and focus on her surroundings. It was an elegant looking room, filled with furnishings that appeared to be something out of an old novelization of the early 1700's. The fire place in the old fashioned living room, was almost walk in size.

"_Elena_," said a familiar voice and Elena turned her head around to see who the intruder was. Her eyes filled up with tears at the sight of him. He appeared to have been fighting. His suit was messy, and Elena tried not to cry as Elijah pulled her up and embraced her.

"I think something is really wrong with me," Elena whispered into Elijah's ear. "I don't hear things like I did before. I can't _see things_ like I could before," Elena continued in a rising panic. "And _Elijah_... I remember _Klaus_ draining me of my blood, infecting me with his venom. I think... I think I might have _died_, Elijah," Elena admitted lastly.

Elijah paused, trying to find the words to sooth her, but he found that he had none. How could he say that yes, his family managed to snatch her out, right from under him, and kill her, before he had any idea about what they had planned? And now, Elena was human, and that would only be temporary before his mother completed her plan? She would have to die again to complete the process, and then she would forever linger between the dead and the living. Elena would never be able to have any sort of real life for herself. Not with him, not as a vampire, or as a human.

"I think we best get you out of here, Elena," Elijah told her, suddenly decided. He took her hand and started to pull her along.

"But they'll know you took me," Elena protested.

"I don't care," Elijah replied back.

Elijah then lead Elena away from his home in New Orleans. He knew this would badly test the waters of his mothers patience, but he no longer cared. If it could give Elena a chance at remaining human, he would take the risk.

* * *

Mystic Falls was quiet as they drove back into the city limits. It had taken forever it seemed to get here. Elena had no idea what Elijah was planning, but she did not like the frightened feeling that she was getting.

"What would happen if you just turn me into a vampire again?" Elena asked suddenly as Elijah had stopped the car down town. "Maybe she won't be able to use her spell, if you turn me, Elijah."

Elijah shook his head no. "Given the darkness my mother usually uses in her magic, Elena, you very well could die anyway if I turned you back into being a vampire. It likely wouldn't work, if I were to turn you, given you were magically made human again. This, has never happened before, to my knowledge. I am not willing to risk your life. I would rather have you remain as you are now."

"So, did you take us back here, because you have a plan?" Elena pressed softly.

"Yes," Elijah replied uneasily. "I do have a plan, Elena."

Elijah turned to face her completely in the car. He then reached out for her, cupping her face with a hand. "I love you, Elena. I have never felt this way. So unique the feeling is, when I think about the love that I bare you. I have loved two other women before, who you resemble in many ways. But you are entirely different from them, Elena. Please remember that I fell in love with you, for the qualities that make you out to be the individual that you are in this very moment. Now, I want you to forget, Elena..."

"No," Elena cried out, realizing part of Elijah's plan. He grabbed her arm, forcing her to remain in place. "Please, don't do this, Elijah," Elena then begged tearfully. "I don't want to lose you... I don't care what happens. Please... I love you...Please..."

Elijah swallowed hard. He was decided that this was the only way. There was no time to try anything else. He hoped that Elena would understand that someday, should she learn about what he had done to her. What he had done to them, in order to save her.

"Forget me, Elena. Forget that you ever met me. Forget everything that you know about my family. The only vampires that you know, live inside of Mystic Falls. You will remain here and live the life that you were supposed to live. You will live, for me, Elena. Now, you will fall asleep. You will wake up in the home of the Salvatore brothers, where you had fallen asleep. They will see you safely home. I love you, Elena." Elijah kissed her once more, and Elena passed out in his arms.

He held her a long time like that, before getting out of the car. "It's done?" He asked the witch.

Markus nodded. "The spell will hold. She will be protected, Elijah."

The Original nodded. "You had best hope it holds, Markus. I will track you down and kill you, if any harm, ever befalls her," Elijah spoke softly, but the threat could be heard plainly, and he meant it.

"She will have an entire coven of witches looking out for her. Esther will not get her here."

Elijah nodded, saying no more. He got in the car and drove the rest of the way to the Salvatore's house.

They didn't know they were coming, but Elijah suspected that both brothers would be very helpful, if it meant getting him out of the picture with Elena. Once Elena was settled, Elijah would then return back to his family to take what ever his mother would deal out for him ruining her plans.

He arrived to the house, briefly caressing Elena's face in sleep before getting out of the car.


	21. Chapter 21

"_Elena," Elijah said, his voice a whisper in her ear. "Are you sure about this?" _

"_I want this," Elena confessed. "I believe I always did," Elena spoke, before stealing her first kiss._

_The others would be given freely, met with passion that matched her own. It was the moment that Elena realized that this was right, and she had been drawn to him since from the moment they met. _

_It would be the moment that she would always remember in her dreams, but when she awakened, she could not recall his name or what he looked like. _

Elena Gilbert celebrated her nineteenth birthday as a human. It was strange, but she welcomed the normalcy of it. She was no longer a vampire, having awakened inside the Salvatore house, over a year ago, after ingesting a cure that supposedly never existed.

Stefan had said it was something an old witch had found, and after they had given her the cure, it knocked her unconscious. Elena had awakened with no memory of having taken the cure, and she had awakened as a human.

She had been devastated, at first. But Elena could not say why. Her emotions had been scattered everywhere, feeling so breathlessly heartbroken over it all. Elena had been happy for the change, after awhile. It had been what she had really wanted, after all. To be free of the coil that had wrapped itself around her, uninviting and cruel. Taking over every part of her life, changing it all.

She completed college, but choosing to go to the local community college instead. It just didn't feel right anymore, the possibility of leaving Mystic Falls. Even just to Whitmore.

Stefan had become one of the dearest friends to her, during her transition back into being human. He saw the glimmer of the girl he had loved return from the dead, and it had been so easy to step back into the old feelings that came to her, whenever around Stefan.

But the reunion she had believed that had been inevitable with him, never actually quite happened, to Elena's dismay. Stefan had been unable to completely let go of the past, despite his love, and despite how much he had wanted to be with her human self again. He had lost Katherine too when he had chosen her. A decision Elena suspected that Stefan had grown to regret.

Stefan now saw that regret, every day. Damon finally got the girl he had longed for, through out time, and Elena had never seen Damon be happier than he was with Katherine.

Matt and Bonnie had gotten married recently, and got a house. Elena couldn't have been more thrilled for them. Jeremy had up and decided to move to Europe after his first month at Whitmore. He was living with a girlfriend in Paris now.

Tyler had completed college and was now in the NFL, free of the bonds of old and happy. Caroline had settled in New Orleans after some big witch uprising against Klaus. To this day, she refused to tell Elena anything about it. Saying she was sworn not too.

Elena eventually found a really good guy to be with. Dan Judson. Their marriage came quickly as it had ended. Leaving Elena with a little daughter who's father hadn't been ready to be a dad after all at the age of twenty.

But she got the house with a white fence anyway. Alice loved to play in the backyard, and especially loved the apple trees.

Five years into her life as a mother came to a crashing halt. A woman had stood in the road and her jeep had went into the water. It seemed as if Elena was fated to die.

But she didn't. Not really.

She had died in the water, but awakened into an old familiarity. A curse that refused to let her live it seemed.

It was all neatly arranged, should Elena Gilbert meet her end again. He had secretly inserted himself into her human life, by compelling her doctor to inject his blood with every visit. The memories had come flooding back after almost seven years she had lived in ignorance.

Her first instinct had been to hunt her new sire down and try to kill him. She hated him for choosing for her, for deciding that life with her hadn't been worth fighting his family for. She had lived seven years of lies because of him.

Elena had then vanished after getting to say her peace. She returned to Mystic falls to settle up the life that hadn't been meant for her to keep. The papers soon said that Elena Gilbert had died, leaving behind her only daughter. Her baby would have the life that had been stolen from her mother. Matt and Bonnie had adopted the young girl gladly.

Alice Donovan was soon joined by a brother and then a sister. Elena knew that her daughter was going to have a great life. The last time she ever dared to look in on her was when she had just begun public school. Elena caught sight of her playing in the school yard with her friends. She had looked so happy.

A full ten years had passed since the day she had died again, and it almost marked the day she decided to seek him out again. Elijah had left her alone for the last decade, keeping true to his word. Letting her deal with the heartbreak and disappointment, which she had been abandon to by him. She had loved him more fiercely and passionately, than she had ever loved anyone, and he had left her to a life without him. It was something that was difficult to forgive. Especially now that she was a vampire again.

Elijah was still living with his family in New Orleans. The shadow that had fallen across their relationship before named Hayley, was still about, to Elena's surprise. But Elena no longer saw the woman wolf as a threat. She had experienced too much in this life to be so vulnerable anymore.

"Where is he?' Elena asked softly.

Her sudden appearance through the window had startled the wolf and something a bit wicked inside of Elena chuckled. Yes, she was different now. She was no longer so afraid.

"Where are those Salvatore brothers of yours?" Hayley countered. "I heard you abandon Elijah for them, long ago."

"Damon found true love, and Stefan is somewhere, finding himself for the umpteenth time," Elena smirked. "And I'm not the one who keeps old boyfriends on leashes."

"Ouch," Hayley smirked back. "I'll get him," Hayley finally said.


	22. Chapter 22

It had been seventeen years since he'd let go of the best thing in his life. He had watched her from afar. Watching her fall in love again with _Stefan_, to only watch him walk away from her. Elena had finished college inside of Mystic Falls, and then marrying who she believed to be a good man.

The good man had decided that fatherhood was too much for him, _after their first child was born_, shattering her dream of having the good life she had always wanted. Elena still got the house to go along with her idealistic dream, to raise her little girl in.

Life had been perfect for Elena and her daughter. Until his mother had discovered that he had lied to her. Elena had survived her spell, and was living as a human, not the supernatural entity his mother had wanted to create. His mother had went to Mystic Falls to deal out the ultimate punishment for her son. She had killed Elena, forcing her to drive off the road, much like Rebekah had done, years before.

Elena had then risen a vampire. What else he had done to ensure Elena's survival, was now awakened like a vengeful karma. Elena had survived the car accident, but no longer wanted anything to do with him. Her new sire. That was _ten_ years ago. Ten years since he had seen her last, and ten years since the best thing that had happened to him, walked out of his life. This time, not by his choice, but by hers. Elena knew how to be a vampire, and did not need him to help her with anything. She had made that _painfully clear. _

It had taken him a full year to decide to even leave the house again, after she had walked out of it. It had taken another year for him to decide to give into Hayley's advances, after making it clear that he would never love her. His love had been reserved for just one person, and burned too many times, Elijah would never give it to anyone else. Recently, Hayley was no longer a _thing_ he turned too when loneliness set in. However, she still lurked through out the house. He was so used to her presence, so Elijah hadn't gotten around to ordering her to leave. And Hayley, he suspected, was still holding on for something he could never give her.

Elijah then walked into his bedroom and found Hayley there. "She's here," The she wolf said simply.

By the look on her face, Elijah could guess who_ she_ really was. Elijah gasped, fighting back the excitement. Fighting the hope that threatened to overwhelm him.

She could be here to just try to kill him again. After all. Elijah couldn't out rule that possibility as her anger had been that great.


End file.
